Motorcyclist fleeing police rides no-handed while texting

Technically Incorrect: In Florida, a man on a motorbike decides to show his dexterity during a police chase. It doesn't turn out well.




Hands-free communication can be useful, especially if you're in control of a vehicle in motion.
Hands-free control of a vehicle, while you're busily communicating, seems to make less of a contribution to society.
We all make our own choices, however, as footage released by the Martin County Sheriff's Office in Florida shows.
As NBC Miami reports, a camera on a sheriff's office helicopter on Thursday recorded a motorcyclist's driving during what was described by the police as "an intense chase" on Interstate 95. What's intense is the concentration required to maneuver a motorbike at high speed while using both of your hands to text on a phone.

What was he texting and to whom? Why was it so important when fleeing was the priority?

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The sheriff's office declared on its Facebook account: "MCSO Chief Pilot, Deputy Doug Newsom, strategically forced a fleeing motorcyclist off the interstate in an attempt to end his erratic driving."
The sheriff's office wasn't immediately available for comment. However, it said on Facebook that the motorcyclist, who hasn't yet been named, has hurtled into multiple charges, including fleeing and eluding.
Gadgets' influence on dangerous driving have been manifold. Gadget use at the wheel has led to deaths. Others have used them to document the dangerous behavior of those who think they can sit in their cars and use their phones and laptops at the same time. Yes, while driving.
Ultimately, though, it's the human who decides to pick up the gadget. I wonder whom this particular motorcyclist was texting.
I suspect it wasn't his insurance company.

Data breach hits roughly 15M T-Mobile customers, applicants

A hack of Experian, the company that handles credit checks for the wireless carrier, results in the loss of T-Mobile customers' Social Security numbers, birth dates and names.





Hackers stole the personal data of 15 million T-Mobile customers by going after the company that processes the wireless carrier's credit checks.
The company, Experian, said Thursday that it experienced a breach that nabbed customer data from September 1, 2013, to September 16, 2015. The stolen data includes names, birth dates, addresses, and Social Security and drivers' license numbers, but not credit card or payment information, Experian said.
Experian stores the data when it runs a check on customers' credit scores to determine whether they qualify for service and what promotions they're able to take advantage of. At risk from the breach is anyone who went through a credit check, whether an existing or former customer, or even an applicant who opted to switch right after the approval process.
The breach marks the latest high-profile compromising of personal data, a list that includes the US government losing the information of 4 million federal workers and health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield seeing 10 million health records exposed. Last year, Home Depot and Target were among the major companies hit by hackers in what has become increasingly dangerous cyberwaters.
"This data breach is certainly a big deal," said Jonathan Bowers, a fraud and data specialist at fraud prevention provider Trustev. "Give a fraudster your comprehensive personal information, they can steal your identity and take out lines of credit that destroy your finances for years to come."
T-Mobile CEO John Legere warned his customers in a tweet, blog post and frequently asked questions page. "Obviously I'm incredibly angry about this data breach and we will institute a thorough review of our relationship with Experian, but right now my top concern and first focus is assisting any and all consumers affected," he said.
The 15 million people hit by the breach represent more than a quarter of Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile's 58.9 million customers, although some of the affected are no longer subscribers.
Experian, which is taking responsibility for the breach, said it's in the process of notifying customers who may be affected. Both existing and former customers would receive letters next week, according to a T-Mobile spokesman.
The company is offering two years of credit monitoring and identity protection services through ProtectMyID, which it owns. Any T-Mobile customers, regardless of whether they were affected, can take advantage of the offer here.
"It is not enough because the lasting effect can go on for more than two years," said Stephen Coty, chief security evangelist for security software provider Alert Logic.
An Experian spokesman said the fraud resolution service would be available for as long as customers need it.
"We take privacy very seriously and we understand that this news is both stressful and frustrating," said Craig Boundy, chief executive of Experian North America.
The company also warned customers to be wary of email and the like. Neither T-Mobile nor Experian will contact its customers to seek personal information in connection with the breach.http://www.cnet.com/news/data-breach-snags-data-from-15m-t-mobile-customers/

IBM gets closer to a future of nanotube-based chips

IBM researchers have licked a problem that stood in the way of a promising technology that could sustain the computing industry's remarkable march of progress.
The evolution of computers from refrigerator-sized mainframes to smartphones in your pocket has hinged on chips that keep getting smaller and working faster. The miniaturization that's central to that progress, though, is facing serious engineering problems as electronic components shrink down toward atomic-size scales.
On Thursday, IBM published research results that show how miniaturization can keep moving ahead, part of a $3 billion research effort to build chips using a foundation of carbon nanotubes. These nanotubes are hollow cylinders whose walls are made of a single layer of carbon atoms linked into a hexagonal lattice pattern. It looks like an extremely tiny roll of chicken wire, but about 10,000 times smaller than a human hair.
"This breakthrough demonstrates the technology can scale," enabling ever-smaller chip components, said Shu-Jen Han, a materials scientist at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center, headquartered in Yorktown Heights, New York. "And we believe it can happen in the decade, sooner than the industry thinks."
Making chips smaller and more capable is key to sustaining the computing industry's decades-long track record of progress called Moore's Law. That progress, with new chip manufacturing technologies arriving about every two years, has brought computers to our desks, pockets and now wrists. It's helped Google to make sense of the Web and enabled Facebook to recognize our friends' faces in photos. But that progress is slowing, and if it were to come to a halt, many of tomorrow's revolutionary computing ideas wouldn't have a chance to evolve.
IBM's new technique is "very good news, for sure. They've made good progress in this area," said Aaron Thean, director of the logic research program at IMEC, an independent nanoelectronics research center based in Belgium. A lot more work needs to be done to make nanotubes practical, though, he said.
Mike Feibus, a longtime chip-industry analyst at TechKnowledge Strategies, called IBM's work a breakthrough.
"This is huge," Feibus said. "This should quiet those who've been saying that Moore's Law may finally have run its course."

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A carbon nanotube (CNT) is a lattice of carbon atoms rolled into a cylindrical shape. Each one is about 10 billionths of a meter wide -- about 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. IBM Research

The entire microprocessor industry is trying to find a path beyond today's difficulties, but IBM has a particular focus on carbon nanotubes. Ultimately, it expects nanotubes to be used for chips in everything from mammoth supercomputers to the tiny computers spreading to places like clothing and car tire pressure gauges.
Today's chip transistors are made using the element silicon, taking advantage of the fact that under different circumstances it either conducts electricity or doesn't. Carbon nanotubes share this "semiconductor" nature that enables them to act as on-off switches that can process data.
What IBM has figured out is a better way to connect those nanotubes to the rest of the microprocessor so they can conduct electricity when in their "on" state. Previously, high resistance stopped electrons from flowing, but IBM figured a way to bond each end of a nanotube to the metal molybdenum. The bonds themselves are small, a crucial factor in making tiny chip circuitry.
The technique could be be built into chips three generations into the future of chipmaking technology, Han said. But it offers miniaturization abilities good enough that it can enable chips another three generations beyond that, a hard problem since electrical resistance can get worse as components shrink.
Thean sees other challenges, though. Although IBM has figured out how to lower resistance, researchers still need to address an electrical problem called capacitance that slows electron flow, he said. Resistance and capacitance both reduce the speeds at which circuits can switch on and off and therefore perform computing work.
IBM itself points to other hurdles, too. One is that carbon nanotubes come in two varieties: semiconducting and metallic. They're hard to separate, but transistors are ruined if they use the metallic kind.
Another challenge is in manufacturing. Today's core chipmaking technology, called photolithography, shines patterns of light on the silicon wafers used to make chips. Those patterns ultimately are used to carve away portions of material, leaving the chip circuitry behind.
Carbon nanotubes, though, require materials to be laid down on the chip with extraordinary precision.
"When building silicon chips out of wafers, it's akin to getting a piece of marble and sculpting it away to make a statue," Han said. For carbon nanotubes, "we are starting with the marble dust and have to figure out a way to make that into a statue.

Technology to smooth today's travel turbulence

From CNET Magazine: Smartphones, online services and biometric scanners are already easing the way for travelers. Expect even more tech to transform your journeys in the not-too-distant future.

Andy Abramson spends more than 200 days a year traversing the globe. It can be a gruel­ing combination of international flights, airport layovers and rush-hour traffic.
While that kind of life on the road can bring strong men to their knees, Abramson eases through it with apps on his Apple iPhone and MacBook Air, including Uber for hailing rides, Airbnb for booking lodging, and Skype and GoToMeeting for video chatting.
"I pretty much live using my technology," says Abramson, CEO of Comunicano, a public relations and marketing consultancy in Del Mar, California.
Though few of us will travel a fraction as much as Abramson, getting around is certainly easier now than a decade ago. Online booking has replaced trips to travel agents. Digital bar codes are supplanting boarding passes. Google Maps keeps us from getting lost. Apps from United and other airlines stream movies to our tablets while we're in the air.
The next decade promises even more innovation. Touchscreens, wireless networks, sensors and software will escort you from home to hotel, and all points in between. Online services will handle the grunt work of finding hotels, booking flights and figuring out transportation. Biometric readers will scan your fingerprints, face or eyes to speed you through security and passport lines. Smart luggage won't get lost. Hotel Wi-Fi will automatically sync up with your devices. And smartphones will let doctors remotely diagnose ailments.
Here's how technology will change our journeys in the not-too-distant future.

At your service

Looking for a flight from San Francisco to Rome? Today, you could spend hours comparing flight times, connecting flights and prices.

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Technology is changing tedious parts of travel. CNET/Getty Images

Intelligent software agents will take over that chore, predicts David Lloyd, chief executive of IntelliResponse, which makes "virtual agent" software that large companies use to provide customer support. These virtual agents will know your travel habits and preferences (aisle seat and extra legroom, please). They'll also act swiftly to rebook flights in case of delays or cancellations.
It's the direction Expedia is headed with online service, says John Kim, chief product officer of the popular online travel site. "But first, we have to generate trust with our customers."
Then there's the little issue of those long, snaking lines in front of airlines' check-in counters. Several carriers, including Alaska Airlines and Spain's Iberia, let you print baggage tags at home to bypass those lines.

Speedy check

Biometric authentication -- using our bodies to identify who we are -- will also speed us through airport checkpoints.
It's slowly starting to happen. Two years ago, London's Gatwick airport ran a trial in which 3,000 British Airways passengers scanned their irises when checking in. That allowed security cameras to recognize them as they passed through checkpoints and boarding gates. Scandinavian carrier SAS now scans passengers' fingerprints when they check their bags and uses those prints to let them board.

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"We are going to move toward self-boarding of airlines," says Terry Hartmann, vice president for Unisys security solutions, which makes biometric authentication systems.
Security checks will also get faster and less intrusive (no more TSA agents rummaging through your gear) with new scanners from companies like startup Qylur Security Systems. Its five-cubbyhole baggage scanner, tested in Brazil during last year's World Cup, takes 30 seconds compared with 2 minutes for today's X-ray conveyor belt systems, says CEO Lisa Dolev. And it's smart enough to let you leave water or laptops packed in your bag.
You'll also spend less time getting through customs when you land. The Vancouver Airport Authority's face-detection technology cut peak waiting times from 90 minutes to less than 15, says Paul Mewett, a VAA director. Fingerprint and facial scanners at South Korea's Incheon Airport get travelers through customs in about 12 minutes, compared with 45 minutes worldwide.
About 14 percent of the world's airports plan to use biometric technology of some sort within the next couple of years, according to a survey by SITA, which provides technology to airports and airlines.

When you're there

Hilton's smartphone app already lets you check in and pick a room before you arrive. Later this year, you'll be able to bypass the front desk altogether by unlocking your room with your smartphone.
And in a few years, today's flaky hotel Wi-Fi will be an unpleasant memory. It'll accommodate multiple devices and heavier traffic -- and it won't cost extra.
"Wi-Fi is the new hot water. It's something you absolutely expect," says Umar Riaz, a travel services consultant at Accenture.

Tomorrow's travel tech, today

Don't want to wait for the future? Try today's gadgets and services.
Phablets like the iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Google Nexus 6 improve productivity when your laptop's packed. Their bigger screens ease thumb typing and make mobile document editing more practical. Phablets' batteries last longer, too. Make sure you get a fast-charging model.
Google Translate serves as a language middleman, enabling a two-way conversation. Its Word Lens feature isn't perfect, but it helps translate signs and menus.

Portable Wi-Fi hotspots for rent from companies like XCom Global cut roaming charges and hotel network fees. Their Wi-Fi networks link your phone, PC and tablet to wireless data networks in other countries.
TripIt minimizes travel chaos. Using your booking emails from hotels, flights and rental cars, it creates a tidy itinerary linked to your online calendar. The $49-per-year Pro version adds alerts, locates alternate flights and strips out ads.
Google's $35 Chromecast plugs into your hotel's TV to bypass pay-per-view videos in favor of streaming video. You can hold videoconferences on the big screen, too.

Profound changes

Transportation itself may also change.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wants to revolutionize travel with a Hyperloop transportation system. Solar-powered electromagnetic pulses would propel pressurized passenger cabins through tubes on a cushion of air. Speeds could theoretically approach 800 mph.
Others think high-speed rail will be the mainstream transportation of the future. Passengers already use it widely throughout Asia and Europe. And California broke ground this year for its own $68 billion bullet service.
Then there are remote-controlled telepresence robots from iRobot and others. These wheeled machines bring your face, eyes and voice to another location so your virtual self can roam the corridors and chat with co-workers. "We're in the early stages of a massive opportunity to reduce the need for business travel," says Double Robotics CEO David Cann.
Maybe the ultimate future of travel is none at all.
This story appears in the fall edition of CNET Magazine. For other magazine stories, go here.

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Huge Chain Of Volcanoes Discovered In Australia

The Australian mainland lacks active volcanoes, but its geologic history looks very different with the identification of a 2,000-kilometer-long (1,240-mile-long) volcanic track, the longest known on any continent. The first volcanoes on the track are 33 million years old, but the forces responsible may still be having an effect on the sea floor off Tasmania.
Most of the world's volcanoes lie where tectonic plates meet, particularly around the Ring of Fire, or at mid-ocean ridges. However, exceptions such as volcanoes in Hawaii can be found within plates. The most popular, although still disputed, explanation is that these sit above mantle plumes, where hot material rises from the boundary between the mantle and core, forcing its way through the crust to be released at the surface.

^{Image Credit: Hannes Grobe/AWI / Wikimedia Commons}
Plumes are thought to be fixed relative to the Earth's core. As the tectonic plates move, new locations are exposed, with active volcanoes above the plume and a track of extinct peaks left behind. The Hawaiian track, including older mountains now eroded beneath the sea, is far longer, but Dr. Rhodri Davies of the Australian National University says Yellowstone Snake River Plain was thought to be the most extended example within a continental plate.
However, Davies reports in Nature that Australia hosts a track three times as long as Yellowstone. Dubbed "Cosgrove track," it begins with ancient volcanoes like Pinnacle Rock in north Queensland. These have been identified as the likely remnants of a mantle plume for decades.
However, other parts of the track are less obvious. Central New South Wales and Victoria host thin layers of the volcanic mineral leucitite. In between are stretches of up to 700 kilometers (435 miles) without any sign of volcanic activity at all, leading geologists to reject an association between the volcanic provinces. However, Davies says the ages are perfect to be formed by the continent passing above a single plume.

^{Image: The path of the volcanic track across eastern Australia. Credit: Drew Whitehouse/NCI NationalFacilityVizLab​.}
Davies attributes the surface differences to “dramatic variations in the thickness of the lithosphere” in the region. “In north Queensland, the lithosphere is only 80km [50 miles] thick,” he told IFLScience, allowing magma to make its way to the surface. However, evidence from the speed at which earthquakes propagate through the Australian crust indicates that for other parts of the track, the lithosphere is more than 130 kilometers (81 miles) thick, preventing volcanic activity. Intermediate thicknesses produce the potassium-rich leucitite.
Things get complicated in the south, as the plume's patch crosses a chain of extinct volcanoes that Davies told IFLScience are caused by quite a different phenomenon, known as edge-driven convection. where volcanic activity is a result of a sharp boundary between thick and thin sections of the lithosphere.“This is the first documented case of the interaction of a mantle plume and edge-driven convection,” Davies said.
“The chain is so long because Australia is the fastest moving continent, traveling north at about 7cm a year.” Davies told IFLScience. This movement has carried the Australian mainland beyond the plume, now located off the coast of Tasmania. “There are no known volcanic eruptions. Nothing obvious on the sea floor, but there have been earthquakes in the region and it needs to be investigated further.”
Read this next: Elephants Born To Stressed Mothers Age Faster

New Experiment Confirms Fundamental Symmetry In Nature

With the help of the Large Hadron Collider’s (LHC) heavy-ion detector ALICE (A Large Ion Collider Experiment), physicists have confirmed there is a fundamental symmetry in nature. By making precise measurements of particle mass and electric charge, researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) and the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) confirmed the symmetry between the nuclei of particles and antiparticles in terms of charge, parity, and time (CPT). The results were published in Nature Physics on August 17 and will help scientists better understand the laws of our Universe.
The team used ALICE – an instrument known for its high-precision tracking and identification capabilities – to take measurements of particles produced from high-energy heavy-ion collisions. The purpose of their experiment was to look for subtle differences in the ways protons and neutrons join in the nuclei and then compare that to how antiparticles join in the antinuclei. The researchers are also hoping ALICE will help them better understand how heavy quarks – such as the charm and beauty quarks – are produced.
"After the Big Bang, for every particle of matter an antiparticle was created. In particle physics, a very important question is whether all the laws of physics display a specific kind of symmetry known as CPT, and these measurements suggest that there is indeed a fundamental symmetry between nuclei and antinuclei," said Marcelo Gameiro Munhoz, a professor at USP's Physics Institute (IF) and a member of the Brazilian team working on ALICE.
In their experiment, the researchers measured differences in the mass-over-charge ratio for deuterons and antideuterons along with helium-3 and antihelium-3. Researchers took that data and combined it with recent high-resolution measurements comparing proton and antiproton properties. As we know, the LHC is a massive particle accelerator and ALICE is a specialized instrument that looks for heavy-ion (lead) collisions. When lead ions collide, they produce a massive amount of particles and antiparticles. Data shows these particles combine to form nuclei as well as antinuclei at almost the same rate, allowing for a detailed comparison.
The team measured both the curvature of particle tracks within the detector’s magnetic field and the particles’ flight time in order to calculate the mass-to-charge ratios. After measuring both the curvature of particle tracks in the detector's magnetic field and the particles' time of flight, that information was then used to determine the mass-to-charge ratios for nuclei and antinuclei.
There are many theories regarding the fundamental laws of the universe and the measurements of mass and charge conducted in this experiment are an integral part that will help physicists determine which theory reigns supreme. Scientists are hopeful that by understanding these results, they will better grasp the relationship between matter and anti-matter.
"These laws describe the nature of all matter interactions," Munhoz explained in a statement, "so it's important to know that physical interactions aren't changed by particle charge reversal, parity transformation, reflections of spatial coordinates and time inversion. The key question is whether the laws of physics remain the same under such conditions."
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Edward Snowden Says Encryption May Stop Us From Finding Aliens

Alien communications could be reaching Earth, although we might not be able to distinguish them from background radiation, according to Edward Snowden. The CIA employee-turned-whistleblower believes encryption – turning data into a code that's difficult to read – harms our chances of detecting or being detected by alien species.
Snowden was speaking on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk podcast from Russia, where he has claimed temporary asylum. He suggested that if aliens encrypted their communications as we do, then they would be hard to identify.
“If you look at encrypted communication, if they are properly encrypted, there is no real way to tell that they are encrypted,” Snowden told deGrasse Tyson. “You can’t distinguish a properly encrypted communication from random behavior.”
We have been searching for extraterrestrial signals for half a century, but Snowden suggested that the movement away from open communications on Earth could be replicated in alien societies if they exist, meaning there is a restricted window of opportunity to intercept their signals.
“So if you have an alien civilization trying to listen for other civilizations or our civilization trying to listen for aliens, there’s only one small period in the development of their society when all their communication will be sent via the most primitive and most unprotected means.”
Maybe there are alien civilizations out there after all, but they started encrypting their communications long before we started looking for them – we could have been receiving the alien version of The Office all this time without even realizing it.
But don't get too downhearted, ET fans. If there are aliens advanced enough to create electronic communication systems and then encrypt them, surely they're capable of broadcasting their own unencrypted "We're here!" signal.

Five Global Catastrophes That Could Happen Tomorrow

It is an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight, a volcano spewing lava and millions of tons of ash and rock into a blackened sky. Mexico’s “fire volcano”, Mount Colima, recently began erupting … again, a reminder of the spectacularly destructive forces that can be unleashed by nature.
But dramatic as online footage of this Mexican volcano is, the eruption is a mere trifle compared to some of the little-known natural disasters that have been predicted. From supervolcanoes to towering megatsunamis, these catastrophic events could affect millions – and occur sooner than you think.
1. Indonesia’s Forgotten Supervolcano
The threat posed to the world by the Yellowstone supervolcano in the United States is well documented. Less well-known (or acknowledged), however, is that it is just one of many posing a catastrophic threat to the planet.
The Lake Toba supervolcano, on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is currently home to the largest volcanic lake on Earth, formed 74,000 years ago when it last blew in the biggest eruption for 25m years. It is estimated that around 2,800 cubic kilometres of volcanic ash and lava were thrown into the atmosphere, 12% more than was ejected by the last Yellowstone eruption of 2.2m years ago.
And it may be about to erupt again. As with any super-eruption, the vast quantities of ash and sulphur dioxide produced can have a devastating effect on the global climate. But a number of factors make the prospect of a Toba super-eruption much more intimidating than one at Yellowstone.
Toba is located on the densely populated island of Sumatra, home to over 50m vulnerable people, and is only 40km from the Indian Ocean in which catastrophic tsunamis (of which we have recent experience) would certainly be generated. Additionally, in recent months, reports of volcanic gases and heating of the ground surface have led to suggestions that the sleeping giant may again be waking up.

^{A waiting game: Lake Tabo Supervolcano. Flickr/SK Ding, CC BY}
2. The Hilina Slump
Forget the widely-publicised megatsunami threat that has been attributed to the potential collapse of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands. A far greater danger is posed by the possible collapse of the southern portion of Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Termed the Hilina Slump, this could drop 12,000 cubic kilometres of rock into the Pacific Ocean, generating a megatsunami that would propagate around the Pacific Ocean and reach the western seaboard of North America in a matter of hours, inundating coastal communities.
There is evidence that a similar collapse at nearby Mauna Loa around 120,000 years ago generated a tsunami with a run-up height of over 400m. Even as recently as 1975, movement of the Hilina Slump generated a smaller, yet destructive tsunami that reached California. Given that the slump is continually active and moving, it might only take a jolt from an earthquake in the tectonically active state to set in motion this catastrophic chain of events.
3. The North Sea Tsunami
The North Sea may seem an unlikely place for a devastating tsunami but climate change has led to concern that a submarine landslide in the region might lead to just this.
There is a precedent. Scientists have suggested that over 6,000 years ago, a sharp sea-level rise, attributed to a changing climate and a rapid melting of ice, added weight to the submarine glacial deposits at the edge of the Norwegian continental shelf, destabilising them and causing a 300km long landslide. This generated a tsunami that reached heights of up to 20 metres in the Shetland Islands, ten on the Norwegian coast and six metres off the northern and western coast of Scotland.
Should Earth experience such a rapidly warming climate again, and experience the associated melting of the Greenland and/or West Antarctic ice sheets, a similar event might well be possible which, today, would affect the coastal populations of Scotland and Norway (around 3m) – and perhaps even London.
4. The Cascadian ‘Big One’
At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, just off the west coast of North America and running from northern California to Vancouver Island, is a subduction zone – a place where the Pacific Ocean floor is being forced beneath the North American landmass.
The rate of movement of the ocean floor here is currently just 40mm a year but the upper part of the system is currently stuck, meaning that the North American plate is being compressed. At some point, the pressure being built up has to be released and this will be in the form of a massive earthquake, perhaps up to a magnitude 9. This could cause subsidence of the coastal region of up to 2m and a possible horizontal displacement of 30m.
Shortly after the intense shaking subsides, the riling coastal community will be struck by a tsunami that could dwarf that of the 2011 Japanese wave. Around 7m people live in this region, from Vancouver, though Seattle, to Tacoma and Portland.
How feasible is it? Well scientists have calculated that in the last 10,000 years, the region has suffered 41 large earthquakes, occurring with an average interval of 244 years – the last was a magnitude 9 and that was 315 years ago.

^{Solar flare: The sun harbours a hidden danger NASA/SDO/AIA, CC BY}
5. An Extra-Terrestrial Threat
Perhaps the biggest threat to the modern world is posed by our own star. Periodically, the sun emits a solar flare, an intense cloud of energetic photons and particles with the energy of millions of hydrogen bombs exploding at once. Once released, these clouds arrive at Earth’s upper atmosphere within a day or two and, in many cases, most ordinary people on Earth would be none the wiser.
If intense enough, however, a solar storm could devastate electrical systems both in orbit, for example, satellites, and on the ground, as the energetic electrons cause a charge build-up.
One of the largest known events was in 1921, which knocked out the US telegraph service; but scientists have calculated that should a similar event happen in today’s technology-reliant society, it could knock out many satellite systems, disabling global communications, the internet and the global positioning system. Chaos could ensue.
The intensity of solar flares varies on a roughly 11-year cycle and fortunately, 2014 saw the most recent peak come and go without significant impact. We can only hope that the same can be said for the future.

Matthew Blackett, Senior lecturer in physical geography and natural hazards, Coventry University
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Quantum Teleportation Breakthrough Sets Distance Record Of 100 Kilometers

This is not the same as "classical" teleportation akin to Star Trek. Just to get that out of the way nice and early.
Scientists say they have set a new distance record for quantum teleportation, which could be important in terms of quantum computing, but probably less so in beaming yourself to a spacecraft. So, what is quantum teleportation? Let’s take a look.
The term "teleportation" is admittedly a bit of a misnomer, although it is the term used by scientists. Quantum teleportation is basically the transfer of information relating to a photon across large distances. It involves reconstructing the quantum state – set of information – of a photon in a different location. In this instance, the information was transported across 102 kilometers (63 miles) of optical fiber, four times further than previously possible. For a more detailed description of how it works, check out our previous article on the last record.
In this latest breakthrough at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratory in Colorado, the researchers used new single-photon detectors to increase the distance of quantum teleportation. Only 1% of photons make it all the way down the fiber, so the detectors must be extremely sensitive. In this study, they were able to record more than 80% of incoming photons; previously, fiber transmission resulted in too great a loss of quantum data, making teleportation over long distances impossible. "We never could have done this experiment without these new detectors, which can measure this incredibly weak signal," said NIST’s Marty Stevens in a statement.
The research, published in the journal Optica, also described how this technique could be used to make "quantum repeaters," repeatedly sending the data to allow for greater distances. This could be one step towards a high-speed and ultra-encrypted quantum Internet.
Now the researchers want to up the rate of teleportation in photons; currently, the effect only occurs in 25% of transmissions. It’s a long way to go until this technique becomes truly useful, but it’s a start at least.



 

Here's What Would Happen To Your Brain If You Took A Trip To Mars

Future Mars astronauts will have plenty to contend with if they are ever to make it to the Red Planet. In perhaps one of the most well-known experiments to simulate a trip to the planet, Mars500 had six men spend 520 days in a pressurized facility in Russia – the longest simulated space mission to date. The purpose was to test how well the men could cope with extended periods of isolation and confinement. The findings: After 18 months, the crew's chronic stress resulted in decreased brain activity.
Apart from confinement, astronauts also have physiological phenomena to cope with. One of those quirks of space life: Seeing strange flashes of light, even with one's eyes tightly shut. This is due to cosmic rays zipping through the astronaut's eyeballs and messing with their optic nerve, making them think they are seeing bright, luminous spots where they don't exist. As NASA astronaut Don Pettit wrote on his blog: “In the dark confines of my sleep station, with the droopy eyelids of pending sleep, I see the flashing fairies. As I drift off, I wonder how many can dance on the head of an orbital pin.”
For more brain-bending information, watch the video below by Physics Girl on BrainCraft.




 

One-Third Of All Natural World Heritage Sites Under Threat From Resource Extraction Activity

Recognized for their “exceptional natural beauty” and “aesthetic importance,” many natural World Heritage Sites are nonetheless under increasing threat. A new report has detailed how around one-third of all natural sites have some sort of extractive activity – be it for oil, gas or minerals – within their boundaries, putting these places that have been designated as some of the most important environments in the world in peril.
Alongside their obvious splendor, the sites are chosen for their global biological and ecological significance, and importance as conservation areas, amongst other criteria. They include places such as the Great Barrier Reef, Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As well as their intrinsic beauty, many of the sites also include vital, and sometimes the only, populations of critically endangered species such as mountain gorillas and snow leopards.    

^{Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, one of the largest reserves in the world, is threatened by 57 mining concessions. Rob/Flickr CC BY-ND 2.0}
“We are going to the ends of the Earth in pursuit of more resources – resources, including minerals, oil and gas, that are becoming more difficult and more expensive to extract,” explains the Chief Executive of WWF–UK David Nussbaum. “Some of the world’s most treasured places are threatened by destructive industrial activities that imperil the very values for which they have been granted the highest level of international recognition: outstanding natural value.”
The report, called Safeguarding Outstanding Natural Value, has looked at the 229 natural World Heritage Sites – found on every continent except Antarctica – and concluded that 70 of them are at risk. Not all are threatened directly by extraction industries such as mines, but many will feel the stress as transport and infrastructure needed for these developments can cut through the sites.
They also found that the sites at risk are far from spread evenly across the globe. Some areas, such as Africa, came out of this report terribly. They found a shocking six out of 10 natural World Heritage Sites on the continent are in danger of being damaged by development, compared to one out of 10 in Europe and North America. But the reasons behind this discrepancy are currently unclear.

^{The Danube River Delta is the second largest, and best protected in Europe, and yet it overlaps with oil and gas concessions. Porojnicu Stelian/Shutterstock}
The WWF is calling on investors to not invest in and to pull out of extraction companies that are planning developments that could harm these sites. They want to warn the investment companies about the potential risks they are running not just financially, but also to their reputation. You just have to look at the events of the past week, with Shell pulling out of Arctic drilling despite having spent billions of dollars on the venture. Alongside poor test drilling results, it’s also suspected that the mass of negative publicity and feedback around the operation also played a part.
“Protecting these iconic places is not only important in terms of their environmental worth; it is crucial for the livelihoods and future of the people who depend on them,” says Nussbaum. “Investors have a unique opportunity, and indeed responsibility, to be stewards of capital and shape our future.”

http://www.iflscience.com/environment/one-third-all-natural-world-heritage-sites-under-threat-extraction-industries

Age of Technology: What is the dark web and is it a threat?

Age of Technology: What is the dark web and is it a threat?: Created by the US government In the mid 1990s, US military researchers created a technology that al...

What is the dark web and is it a threat?

Created by the US government

In the mid 1990s, US military researchers created a technology that allowed intelligence operatives to exchange information completely anonymously. They called it 'Tor', which stands for 'The Onion Router'.

As part of their strategy for secrecy, they released Tor into the public domain for anyone to use. Their reasoning was simple: the more people using the system, the harder it would be to separate the government's own messages from the general noise. You can't be anonymous on your own.

Tor spread widely and today, is a critical part of the so-called 'dark web': a network of untraceable online activity and hidden websites, of which Tor hosts approximately 30,000. And that anonymity has attracted a huge range of people; all who want to keep their activities hi

WATCH: How the dark web works

Watch the video to see how Paul Syverson from the US Naval Research Laboratory created Tor, and how it works.

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CLICKABLE: Who uses the dark web, and why?

There are many legitimate uses for the dark web- but it also enables online criminal activity. Click on the images below to see how the dark web is used today.

Images: Getty, PA and Thinkstock

Good or bad: The expert view

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Despite the benefits that online anonymity can bring, would we better off without it?

Bruce Schneier, computer security expert

"Internet anonymity is vital for people living in countries where you can be arrested, tortured, and killed for the things you do online. This is why the US government was instrumental in developing the technology, and why the US State Department continued to fund Tor over the years."

Troels Oerting, former cyber-crime chief

"The Tor network hides criminals. I know it was not the intention, but that's the outcome and this [was] my job, to tell society what the trade-off is here. By having no possibility to penetrate it, criminals can continue their crimes on a global network. It's very, very difficult for the police to penetrate, so it's risk-free crime."

Jake Applebaum, The Tor Project

“There is often asserted certain narratives about anonymity and, of course, one of the narratives is that anonymity creates crime. So you hear about things like the Silk Road [a dark web marketplace that sold drugs and guns] and you hear, 'Oh, it's terrible, someone can do something illegal on the internet'. Well, welcome to the internet. It is a reflection of human society, where there is sometimes illegal behaviour.”

Dr. Joss Wright, Internet researcher

"We should not shy away from the negative uses of Tor any more than we should ignore its benefits. Preventing individuals from communicating without being tracked, watched, logged, and profiled, however, would be a huge blow to our society."

UK government concerns

In 2014, David Cameron announced plans for GCHQ to work alongside Britain's National Crime Agency in order to attack the dark web and root out criminal activity. He said, "The dark net is the next side of the problem, where paedophiles and perverts are sharing images, not using the normal parts of the internet that we all use."

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

In a recent report on the dark net and anonymity, the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology claimed "there is widespread agreement that banning online anonymity systems altogether is not seen as an acceptable policy option in the UK. Even if it were, there would be technical challenges. For example, when the Chinese government attempted to block access to Tor, Tor Project Inc. introduced secret entrance nodes to the Tor Network, called ‘bridges’, which are very difficult to block."

VOTE: Do the pros outweigh the cons?

This vote is not available outside of the United Kingdom.

This vote is not an opinion poll, merely a way for you to compare your view with those of others. The BBC does not make any claims for the vote's statistical or representative significance

Where next?

Green future of Pakistan

AGRICULTURE THAT sustainably increases productivity, resilience (adaptation), reduces/removes GHGs (mitigation), and enhances achievement of national food security of Pakistan and development goals. Climate-smart crop production contributes to food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation by addressing different current and projected climate change impacts (e.g. variability, unpredictability). Crop production, encompassing  the series of processes involved in the growing of crops – from land preparation through planting to the produce reaching the farm gate, is not operated in isolation but rather constitutes an  integral part of a farming system, which in turn is a constituent of the broader agro-ecosystem and landscape. 

Crop production is aimed at providing food security, contribute to sustainable diets, raw materials for industries and generally, to improve and sustain the livelihoods. The linkages between crop production to the wider overarching agricultural production systems and its value in socio-economic contexts are therefore obvious and these aspects are largely covered in other modules. Against the backdrop of social, economic, institutional and other enabling environments, we must focus on the technical aspects of crop production within the context of evolving climate change and variations. In particular, the concepts of the sustainability of crop production systems and to explore how crop production can adapt to and contribute to the mitigation of the effects of climate change.

The successes and failures of crops have always been subject to prevailing environmental factors and hence the mechanisms for managing the stresses imposed by these factors have remained subjects of extensive studies in varied disciplines. It is noteworthy that currently, crop production is increasingly vulnerable to risks associated with largely new and evolving climatic changes. Variations in environmental conditions that are posing significant challenges to farmers, over and beyond those that are experienced “normally”. The frequency, variability and intensity of these events are increasing.  According to IPCC, the planet is facing more extreme weather events, such as heavy precipitation events, coastal high water, geographic shifts in storm and drought patterns, and warmer temperatures. For example their impact on the current tillage-based agriculture with no soil cover, low soil carbon and severe plough pan, a dominant approach to production intensification. Conversely, climate change will have a significant impact on crop production but alternative adaptation approaches and practices can address this by helping to reduce the net GHG emissions while maintaining or improving yields as published in AgMIP Annual Report in 2014. 

Cold periods becoming warmer and shorter (warmer and more frequent hot days and nights over most land areas) and increased yields in colder environments; decreased yields in warmer environments; increased outbreaks of new insect pests and pathogens. Heavy precipitation events increasing in frequency over most areas are very likely. Drought-affected area increases land degradation and soil erosion; lower yields from crop damage and failure; loss of arable land intense tropical cyclone activity increases damage to crops. 

Crop production has always been impacted by environmental stresses and has looked for ways to manage these. Climate change adaptation requires more than simply maintaining the current level of performance from the agricultural sector, but rather developing a set of responses that allow the sector to improve performance under the changing conditions climate change implies. Because agricultural production remains the main source of income for most rural communities, adaptation of the agricultural sector to the adverse effects of climate change will be imperative to protect and improve the livelihoods of the poor and to ensure food security. 

Examples of ways are local adaptation to the stress through plant breeding, pest management strategies, and seed delivery systems, to name a few. Today, however, crop production is increasingly vulnerable to risks associated with climate change. This is because climate change is causing variations in environmental conditions that are posing significant challenges to farmers, over and beyond those that are experienced “normally”. Some examples of changes in climatic conditions that influence crop systems include rain quantity and distribution (and consequent water availability), extreme events such as floods and droughts, high temperatures and shifting. 

The Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.76 °C since 1850. The rate of climate change will possibly exceed the natural rate of adaptation of natural systems including crops, and this creates high concern for food availability. In essence, what this means is that crops that were usually planted in one area may not be able to grow there any longer. But that is not all! It is not just the crop itself that may be impacted, it is also the ecosystem services that ensure crop growth (e.g. pollination, soil biodiversity) and for these reasons it is necessary to address crop production at the farming systems level. However, with the proper technical, institutional, socio-economic and policy infrastructure in place, there is a huge potential for crop management practices adapt to, and contribute to, the mitigation of climate change.

Farming practices that rely on natural biological processes and biodiversity to increase the production of agro-ecosystems are “climate-smart”. Sustainable crop production intensification can be achieved through good farming practices, which are based on improving efficiencies and managing biological processes. SCPI is based on agricultural production systems and management practices that include maintaining healthy soil to enhance soil related ecosystem services and crop nutrition, cultivating a wider range of species and varieties in associations, rotations and sequences, using well adapted, high-yielding varieties and good quality seeds, integrated management of pests, diseases and weeds, efficient water management.

Managing agro-ecosystems for producing food and fodder and managing agro-ecosystems to adapt to and mitigate climate change have the same underlying principles, and can work together to achieve the same goal; feeding the population, into the future. Both crop production and climate change adaptation and mitigation require a resilient ecosystem and this can be ensured through approaches and practices that are based on the sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Climate-smart agriculture in crop production is a sustainable crop production system that inherently in its nature addresses climate change. Sustainable agricultural systems also contribute to the delivery and maintenance of a range of valued public goods, such as clean water, carbon sequestration, flood protection, groundwater recharge, and landscape amenity value. By definition, sustainable agricultural systems are less vulnerable to shocks and stresses. Sustainable crop production systems are climate-smart and provide options for adapting to, and mitigating, climate change.

 

 

Texas judge throws out patent claims

 

A  judge in East Texas has wiped out 168 patent cases relating to a single patent and filed by the same company.
The patent, belonging to a firm called eDekka, related to "methods of storing information" which included the use of labels - but the judge said this could apply to routine activities.
The US patent system allows companies to acquire the rights to inventions and demand money for their use, without making products of their own.
Critics call it "patent trolling".
However, in the case of eDekka against online retailer 3balls.com judge Rodney Gilstrap ruled that "the claimed idea represents routine tasks that could be performed by a human" and was therefore not worth protection by patent law.
The District of East Texas has traditionally been favourable towards patent claimants, in part because of its rules on swift litigation processes, which can put pressure on defendants to settle disputes quickly, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
However, Judge Gilstrap's ruling on the 3balls case last month also included all other defendants facing similar legal action from the firm regarding the same patent.
"US judges, even in the notoriously troll-friendly Eastern District of Texas, increasingly invalidate patents for claiming monopolies on abstract ideas," patent expert Florian Muller told the BBC.

EDekka, which has no online presence, is one of the most prolific filers of patent lawsuits.
In 2014, it filed more than 100 allegations of patent misuse.
The new ruling means its patent, number 6,266,674 is, in effect, wiped out.

Google's driverless car is brilliant but so boring

The biggest compliment you could possibly give the Google driverless car team is that experiencing their groundbreaking product feels utterly unremarkable. Dull, even.
Let me explain.
This week I, along with a heap of other reporters, was given a ride in two of their driverless vehicles.
The first was a modified Lexus that has been out on the streets around here for well over a year now, and is improving and learning every day as new scenarios are logged and analysed by the team.
This version, which is the most "ready" for the roads, though still years off, is essentially a normal car. Except it drives itself.
The second "car" (at what point does something stop being a car?) was more interesting, and is a better reflection of where Google is ultimately going with all this

Safe and cautious

It's an odd little pod, a prototype for a fully autonomous vehicle. No steering wheel. No pedals. Nothing really - save for a couple of chairs with a control panel in between.
The prototype was unveiled earlier this year, but we didn't hear much about it. Now, Google had set up an obstacle course on top of one of its buildings. Across the makeshift course were "hazards" - a chap on a bike, a car pulling out, a man walking aimlessly across us. Naturally, the car dealt with all this impeccably.
I shared my test ride with the Guardian's Jemima Kiss, and while Google wouldn't let us film or take pictures in the vehicle - I did convince them to let me record our experience for this week's edition of Tech Tent. So do have a listen to that when our podcast goes live on Friday at about 17:00 BST.
So why unremarkable? Well, like any good technology, the driverless car technology just works.
As much as I'd like to write here about the white-knuckle "Oh my gosh, there's no driver!" ride I had in a prototype car, that really was not the case.
It was slow. It was cautious. It was safe, a more attentive driver than any human could possibly ever be.
And later that evening, as I snaked my way back to San Francisco on the four-to-five lane wide Interstate 880, I wished it was the Google car driving me home.

Sunday driver

The pod demo was in a highly controlled environment. Nothing was ever going to go wrong (although there is a big, fat emergency stop button in the car if needs be).
The Lexus demo ride, on the other hand, was around Google's headquarters in the streets of Mountain View. It's a quiet town, but one that has enough bustle to make the trip a considerable challenge for the car.
And indeed off it went, pootling through the streets, being patient with traffic - never cutting anyone up or changing lanes at the last moment.

Image copyright Google

Image caption The Lexus cars are able to go on public streets

It won't ever cut corners, or do that tiny burst of speed to nip through the lights as they change. When the lights do go green, it pauses for a second before pulling away, just in case.
It's a Sunday driver, every day of the week.
That, obviously, is a good thing. It's far safer than a human. The brief delay before pulling away on a green light is intentional - a huge proportion of accidents at traffic lights happen in that first moment, as a car whizzes through a red light and clatters into anyone who's pulled away promptly.
But just because it's safe doesn't meant it won't be massively frustrating - particularly if you're desperate to get to work or in any other kind of hurry that required a bit of (legal) urgency on the road.
That's a terrible complaint, isn't it? The impeccable standards are a sign the technology is really quite magnificent.
But like dating someone who is just "too nice", the Google car will start to grate on you a bit.

Boggled by a jogger

As Google works its way through the regulatory hoops, and gains confidence, the next focus will be on just how ready this technology is to hit the streets.
In the test scenario, Google took us on public roads, with common complications - roadworks, road closures and pretty heavy traffic. It was the end of the school day, and so we had parents and children haphazardly crossing the road.
At one point, a skateboarder rolled towards us. The car's idiot detection sensor (to use its unofficial title) instantly knew to give him a wide berth. On the on-board computer, you could see how the technology had broken down the hazard: human + object (the skateboard) + fast movement = stop.
But we did see how the car's nervousness - which is the only way I can describe it - sometimes got it wrong. At one moment in our journey, a jogger ran by. He was on the opposite side of the road, and any human eye would have instinctively known he posed no danger.
But the Google car panicked, hitting the brakes for an emergency stop.
Luckily, there was nobody behind us, or I'm sure they'd have gone into the back of us. Google's engineer told me that if a car had been right behind us it wouldn't have stopped so suddenly.
But suppose the jogger had been a danger? Would the car have ploughed into him rather than causing a crash from behind? It's the classic ethical dilemma that has kept psychologists debating for centuries.
The way Google sees it is that even with those theoretical scenarios - where it's forced to choose between what it thinks is the least harmful - the Google car is still far smarter than a human, and, crucially, will save thousands of lives by existing in the first place.
Riding in a Google car may be slow and boring, but the effect it will have on the world certainly isn't.

---

Google's view of a driverless future

Image copyright Google

Image caption Sergey Brin dropped into the demo day to discuss long-term plans

Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder, thinks there's space for both types of driving experience on our roads. "I love the idea of being out on the open road that's kind of curvy and fun - you're driving, really getting into it," he said.
"But in practice that's probably 1% of my experience.
"Typically I'm in stop-and-go traffic, and some traffic jam, or just going from light to light on a pretty straight road, mostly just trying to make sure nobody does anything weird in front of me and I don't crash into them.
"I think we need to see both of those worlds, and I think there's a future for both of those. I don't think we're going to see no human driver any time soon.
"And I think there's always going to be a pleasure in being able to hit the open road and enjoy that."

10 Things Your iPhone Repair Technician Wants You to Know

While we don’t own a repair shop or fix any devices here at eTech Parts (besides our own), we have great insight into the lives of repair shop owners and technicians. One of the biggest struggles facing repair technicians today are the common misconceptions and things that consumers don’t yet understand about the wireless repair industry. This has led us here at eTech to take on some of these misconceptions, in the hope of improving the reputation of the wireless repair industry simply by sharing the truth.
If you haven’t read our blog about the 7 Common Misconceptions about Cell Phone Repair, we suggest you do so — and read the following blog, inspired by the comments of repair technicians all over the country.

10 Things Your iPhone Repair Technician Wants You to Know

1. You should always disclose your device’s water damage, no matter the circumstance or if it “worked just fine before.”

Even if you dropped your device in the toilet once and it seemed to work just fine afterwards, water damage can change a lot about a repair. What appears to be a simple screen fix can turn into hours of work for a technician, and they won’t know what they’re in for until they open your device and take a look.
There’s a chance your phone, that may have “just shut off one day,” has previous water damage, so be sure to disclose any and all dips your device may have taken to your local repair technician.

2. You should disclose any previous repairs to your technician, too.

It’s like a doctor asking for your medical history. We’re basically performing surgery on your device, and we need to know if anyone else has been in there. It’s easy to damage a device during a repair, and really easy to see if a device has been tampered with previously, so we need to know if you or anyone else has attempted to repair it…just in case. #TheMoreYouKnow

3. If you attempt (and fail) to repair your device yourself, and then bring it to your local repair shop in pieces, we can fix it.

…but don’t expect us to be thrilled about it. While we applaud your DIY spirit, it’s like putting together a very intricate puzzle with no instructions, and a lot of teeny tiny pieces that look exactly the same. It’ll probably take longer than it would have otherwise, and no, we can’t offer you a discount.
While we know iFixit makes it look super easy for everyone, sometimes a repair can be more difficult than you might expect, and there are dozens of things that could go wrong – which in turn could increase your cost of repair. Break a connector off the board and that repair could cost you a lot more than you’d even like to know. Unless you’re a highly confident and skilled “DIY-er,” we always suggest taking your broken devices to your local trusty repair shop.
But if you do attempt a repair and can’t finish it, don’t worry – you’d be amazed (and reassured) to know how many times this happens to us. Just bring all the pieces to us and we’ll put it back together again!

4. Always back up your data before bringing your device in for a repair.

Please back up your data, either on your computer or through iCloud, because when we repair your device there’s always a chance of data loss. Backing up prior to a repair is the only way to prevent us from losing all your pictures, contacts, text messages, etc. We might even have you sign a release form prior to the repair, just to make sure you fully understand what could happen if you don’t. We want to make your repair experience as painless as possible, and taking this precaution will help us both.
And if you don’t know how, just ask! We’ll be happy to assist you or give you directions for how to back up data on your iPhone or iPad.

5. Bent aluminum corners make your device harder to repair…but we have the tools to fix it!

When you drop your device on its side or corner, the fragile aluminum that holds your screen in place will most likely bend out of shape. This leads to a more time-consuming repair, because you can’t replace a screen on a device with bent casing.
Luckily, we have all the tools to get the job done right! You’ve probably never heard of a gTool iCorner, but these specialty tools help me to reshape bent aluminum corners for a more professional repair.
Bonus points: Wanna impress your local repair technician? Ask if they use the gTool in their shop!

6. If possible, charge your phone before you bring it in for a repair.

You probably don’t even think about it, and that’s okay, but most professional repair technicians will do a full diagnostic test on your device prior to performing any repairs. They’ll check the speakers, Wifi, cellular connectivity, etc… If you bring us your device with a dead or dying battery, that’s an additional 10 minutes we both have to wait before we even start the repair. Which is fine with us, because all good work takes time, but we know you want your device back as soon as possible.
This obviously only applies to devices that are in working condition, but just need a new screen or small part installed. If your device doesn’t even turn on, we have a lot more to deal with than an uncharged battery.

7. Discovering defective parts during an installation is frustrating for both of us – but there’s little we can do when it happens.

Defective parts happen… but when it happens right in the middle of a repair, and it’s the last one we have in stock, and we can’t get a replacement until tomorrow… Ugh. We know you’re not going to be happy about it. We’re totally not happy about it. We’ve already called our supplier to complain about it, but unless our supplier is local, there’s not much we can do other than overnight the replacement parts to get your device fixed ASAP. We hope you accept our very sincerest apologies if this happens.

8. Know your device.

When you bring your phone to your local repair shop, it’s helpful if you know the model number, generation, or what year it was released. If your technician quotes you $100 over the phone for an iPhone 5 repair, only to learn you have an iPhone 5s, the price will be different – because the repair certainly is. We know it gets confusing with generation after generation of iPhones that look incredibly similar, and we don’t expect everyone to know the differences as well as we do, but the parts and repair processes are different for each device. Even in an iPhone 4, the repair parts are different dependent on which cellular provider you purchased it from. Confusing, right?

9. Tell your friends your phone is in the shop!

In the words of our friend Geoff Waller, “There’s nothing like trying to test a phone that won’t stop ringing and dinging!” Tweet to your friends, send them a Snapchat… let them know your phone will be in the shop and you’ll text them as soon as it’s done. Repairs should only take an hour or two, so don’t worry – your friends won’t be without you for long.
And if you have a good experience with us, let your friends know I can fix their broken phones, too! Word of mouth is a powerful and highly effective marketing tool, and we appreciate the help.

10. Always do your research before choosing a repair shop or technician to fix your device.

There’s no industry certification or requirements for someone to own and operate a wireless repair shop. There is no accountability, and no one to rectify any issues you might have if the tech does a shoddy job. But don’t let that deter you from choosing a third-party repair shop; there are hundreds of reputable repair shops all over the country, you just have to do your research to find them.
To find a reputable repair shop, search online for “iPhone repair shops” near you. It might take some digging, but when you find a shop, check out their website, read their reviews, look at their Facebook page. Whether you feel you can or can’t trust them, go with your gut instinct.
Your device is important, so finding someone you can trust to fix and take care of it for you will make all the difference. Sure you can find someone on Craigslist who will fix it for $20, but remember: the age-old adage, “you get what you pay for,” definitely applies here.

And if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Play video games to fight cigarette cravings

 

 Poison kills poison. Iron cuts iron. And now the new one addiction kills addiction! According to a study carried out by researchers from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology in Australia, people who played the classic game of Tetris had reduced craving for cigarettes. And not only Tetris you can play any game like Candy Crush for that matter. The point is, the game should be visually interesting and changing.




The study involved a sample size of 31 students between the ages of 18 to 27. These students were asked to note the frequency and intensity of any kind of craving (nicotine, food, etc.) they felt. Half of them were given an iPad upon which they could play Tetris, whereas the other half were asked to struggle with their cravings. After 15 minutes, when checked, the group involved in playing Tetris reported 20 percent less craving for cigarettes than those who weren’t playing. Scientists attribute this decrease in craving to the mental process involved in playing Tetris. According to them the same process is also involved in controlling and satisfying cravings.


 Professor Jackie Andrade of Plymouth University expressed her opinion as, “We think the Tetris effect happens because craving involves imagining the experience of consuming a particular substance. Playing a visually interesting game like Tetris occupies the mental processes that support that imagery. It is hard to imagine something vividly and play Tetris at the same time.” So the next time you feel a craving for something you know isn’t good for you and your health, just grab your smart phone and start playing Candy Crush or Tetris!

LED Lights Control Mice Movements

Scientists working with mice have to be careful about a lot things, the mice running away being the least of the problems. This remote-control LED chip can make a mouse completely in its trance by activating neurons in its brain, with light stimulation of peripheral nerves.

While the movement of the mice can be influenced, this chip is tiny and thus eliminates the use of those giant cables.

“This is a new way of delivering wireless power for optogenetics,” said Ada Poon, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Stanford. “It’s much smaller and the mouse can move around during an experiment.”

This LED chip provided the field of optogenetics the needed boost. This chip can be used to interpret and diagnose the behavioural and motor aspects of Parkinson’s disease. This chip weighs just 20-50 milligrams and can be easily sneaked into the brain, or spine, or limbs of a mice. But Poon also realised that a mice housing the chip, would be used to power the chip as. A 2 mm coil could be the powerhouse of the chip, collecting the energy from the mice.

To rest your fear now, this chip cannot be extended to the human brain. For functioning, this LED requires light activated proteins called opsins, which are found only in special mice genetically altered to express them.

http://www.technologyvista.in/pin/led-lights-control-mice-movements/