Category Archives: Technology

BILL GATES FINANCES RESEARCH TO INJECT MEDICAL INFORMATION UNDER THE SKIN


Storing medical information below the skin’s surface

 

Every year, a lack of vaccination leads to about 1.5 million preventable deaths, primarily in developing nations. One factor that makes vaccination campaigns in those nations more difficult is that there is little infrastructure for storing medical records, so there’s often no easy way to determine who needs a particular vaccine.

MIT researchers have now developed a novel way to record a patient’s vaccination history: storing the data in a pattern of dye, invisible to the naked eye, that is delivered under the skin at the same time as the vaccine.

“In areas where paper vaccination cards are often lost or do not exist at all, and electronic databases are unheard of, this technology could enable the rapid and anonymous detection of patient vaccination history to ensure that every child is vaccinated,” says Kevin McHugh, a former MIT postdoc who is now an assistant professor of bioengineering at Rice University.

The researchers showed that their new dye, which consists of nanocrystals called quantum dots, can remain for at least five years under the skin, where it emits near-infrared light that can be detected by a specially equipped smartphone.
The research was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Koch Institute Support (core) Grant from the National Cancer Institute.

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ELON MUSK NEEDS MONEY FOR SPACE PROGRAM


Man Who ‘Has’ $170 Billion Says It Will Cost $30 Billion To Make Space Internet Company Viable

Despite already having 1500 satellites in orbit, Starlink will need significantly more money to survive

In a video conference on Tuesday billionaire carnival barker Elon Musk claimed that while the Starlink satellite internet venture was growing quickly, it was going to need a massive infusion of cash continue.

“If we succeed in not going bankrupt, then that’ll be great, and we can move on from there,” Musk said. He explained that he predicts the total investment cost in SpaceX’s Starlink venture being between $20 and 30 billion. With a B.

I guess he could always use some of that totally real, liquid $170 billion he is said to have!

Without making any details public, he claimed that Starlink had already secured “two quite significant partnerships with major country telcos.” Which seems to be the standard Musk move of promising big things without providing corroborating details. The internet service provider has secured about 69,000 global customers in about a dozen countries, each paying around $99 per month for a high-speed low-latency connection, after buying a terminal costing in excess of $1,000. Another extremely Musk move came when he said he expects Starlink’s customer base to grow to around half a million users within 12 months. What is that based on?

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Starlink has already launched more than 1,500 satellites into low orbit, meaning each satellite is serving about 40 Starlink customers at the moment. Analysts have been skeptical of the idea since its inception. Because Starlink is primarily targeting remote area users where high speed internet service is difficult and expensive, there simply may not be enough target users to recoup the massive initial investment.

In 2020 Musk claimed that Starlink projected a $30 billion annual revenue stream, but such a number would require tens of millions of users signing up. Admittedly, around 70 percent of the global population is connected to the internet, meaning Starlink would only need to convince a very small percentage of web surfers to switch to their service.

Tim Farrar, analyst and president of TMF Associates, gave Reuters his take on the situation.

“It is not implausible to get this number (a few million) to make the system not to go bankrupt. But this is not enough to justify the valuation of SpaceX,” he said.

“The more Elon talks up that he is going to invest tens of billions, the harder it becomes for other people. Obviously, that’s the big part of Musk’s objective: to limit competition.”

Starlink needs to scale, and it needs to do so quickly in order to fend off competition from Amazon subsidiary Kuiper, the British government-owned OneWeb, and Telesat. If Musk can convince investors with his rhetoric that it’s going to cost billions to get this tech scaled, then other investors will be less likely to back the competition.

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FLYING CARS BECOMING REALITY (VIDEO)

Flying car completes first test flight between airports in 35 minutes

A prototype flying car has completed the first-ever test flight between airports in Slovakia, taking to the skies and landing in 35 minutes.

AirCar, described as a “dual-mode car-aircraft vehicle” in a news release, traveled from the international airport in Nitra to the airport in Bratislava on Monday.

According to the company that created it, Klein Vision, the flying car completed its 142nd successful landing and the flight marked a key development milestone. With a click of a button, the aircraft turned into a sports car in under three minutes – and it was driven by its inventor, professor Stefan Klein.

After exiting the AirCar following the test, Klein declared the flight has started a “new era of dual transportation vehicles.”


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GOOGLE DELAYING PLAN ON STOPPING TRACKING COOKIES


Google delays cookie removal to late 2023 amid scrutiny

Google announced Thursday it would delay its plan to scrap a widely used technology to track web-browsing habits, bending to resistance and scrutiny from the advertising industry, privacy advocates and regulators.

Under the new timeline, the Alphabet Inc. unit said its Chrome internet browser will stop supporting a user-tracking technology called third-party cookies by late 2023, nearly two years later than its initial time frame of early 2022. Google had announced the removal of cookies, which many companies in the advertising sector use to track individuals’ and target ads, under pressure from privacy regulators and advocates.

Google said the delay will give it more time to get publishers, the ad industry and regulators comfortable with the new technologies it is developing and testing to enable targeted ads in cookies’ wake.

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NASA AND DIABETES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA AND DIABETES RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY


NASA Space Technology and Diabetes

 

What do NASA space technology and diabetes have in common? Quite a lot, actually.

The connection between NASA and diabetes technology was a featured topic at the recent Diabetes Technology Society annual meeting held Nov. 14-16 in Bethesda, MD. At that #2019DTM gathering, a NASA physician recapped some of the more notable tech overlaps through the years, and talked about current projects.

“You may wonder what NASA is doing here, and how space and diabetes fit together,” said Dr. Victor Schneider, research medical officer for NASA’s Biomedical Research and Countermeasures Program in Washington D.C. “NASA is a technology organization, and we’ve had an interest in diabetes and technology for a long time, because there have been specific applications that have applied to diabetes and personal health, and that’s important as we prepare for these missions.”

NASA is actively exploring health-related technologies as it envisions human-led missions to the moon in 2024 and to Mars by 2035, as part of their new space policy directive calling for human expansion of the solar system. Their research aims to better equip astronauts and spacecraft for future missions.

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GOOGLE SUED OVER LOCATION TRACKING THAT CANT BE SHUT OFF

GOOGLE SUED OVER LOCATION TRACKING THAT CANT BE SHUT OFF


‘Location Off Should Mean Location Off’:

Google Lawsuit Over Data Collection

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich says that Google continues to collect location data even after users turn off tracking on their smartphones and other devices, citing concerns from company employees about its data-collection practices, in the latest update of a lawsuit against the tech giant.

According to documents that were submitted in court by Brnovich’s office last week, emails that were sent among Google engineers expressed concerns about the company’s location data collection efforts after an Associated Press report in 2018; the engineers suggested that they believed the AP article was correct.

“So there is no way to give a third-party app your location and not Google? This doesn’t sound like something we would want on the front page of the [New York Times],” one employee allegedly stated in a newly unredacted section (pdf).

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MYSTERIOUS SIGNALS FROM SPACE BEING TRACKED

MYSTERIOUS SIGNALS FROM SPACE BEING TRACKED


NASA traces source of fast radio bursts sending signals to Earth

Don’t panic, but mysterious sources have been sending radio signals to Earth for years. Now, scientists have tracked down some of their origins — and they were surprised by what they found.

And no, it’s still not aliens.

Using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have traced the locations of five deep space signals known as fast radio bursts (FRBs). In a thousandth of a second, these powerful blasts generate as much energy as the sun does in an entire year.

Around 1,000 FRBs have been detected since the first one was discovered in 2001, but they are notoriously difficult to track because they disappear in an instant and without a trace. Only 15 of them have been tracked to specific galaxies.

Scientists are interested in tracking where these intense pulses are coming from so they can determine what kind of cosmic events trigger them.

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APPLE LEASES MASSIVE COMPLEX IN SUNNYVALE

APPLE LEASES MASSIVE COMPLEX IN SUNNYVALE

Arquitectonica Pathline Park in Sunnyvale, a 1.3-million-square-foot office development, concept.

Apple has struck a deal that will enable the tech titan to dramatically broaden its Silicon Valley presence

by leasing a half-dozen big office buildings in Sunnyvale’s Pathline Park office complex.

Apple mega deal: Tech titan launches huge Sunnyvale expansion that could accommodate thousands

Apple has struck a deal that will enable the tech titan to dramatically broaden its Silicon Valley presence by leasing a half-dozen big office buildings in Sunnyvale’s Pathline Park office complex.

The iPhone maker has leased 701,000 square feet of office space in the tech complex, which totals 1.3 million square feet and sits on 42 acres in a section of Sunnyvale called Peery Park, according to four commercial property experts familiar with Apple’s leasing agreement with park developer and owner Irvine Co.

This appears to be the largest South Bay office lease in either 2020 or so far in 2021, according to a review of quarterly reports from commercial real estate firms. That would also mean that the just-signed transaction is the largest South Bay lease since the onset of the coronavirus.

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NEW SUPERFAST TESLA RELEASED NEXT YEAR

NEW SUPERFAST TESLA RELEASED NEXT YEAR

Tesla Roadster At Petersen Automotive Museum: 0-60 MPH In 1.1 Sec

The second-generation Tesla Roadster, originally unveiled in 2017 and expected to enter the market in 2022, is currently displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles (from May 19 to June 2, 2021).

The interesting thing is that the description in front of the car reveals that the SpaceX package of cold air thrusters is expected to go 0-60 mph in 1.1 seconds!

And deliver 620 miles (998 km) of range.

That’s quite a difference, but it will rather not be repeatable without a recharge (fill up the compressed air tanks). Another thing is whether a driver and its passengers can withstand such acceleration and maintain control of the vehicle?

Production of the Tesla Roadster 2022 is set to begin in 2022, with the base model expected to be in the region of $200,000. Buyers will be required to put down a payment of $50,000 to reserve their car.

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VIDEO OF iPhone TAKING INFARED PICTURES AUTOMATICALLY

VIDEO OF iPhone TAKING INFARED PICTURES AUTOMATICALLY


Yes, your iPhone is taking ‘invisible’ pictures of you

A video showing a mobile device snapping infrared images of an iPhone user is circulating around the internet and is catching many by surprise.

In the TikTok shared by user Brie Thomason, a digital camera using an infrared lens is seen filming an iPhone user observing his home screen. As the iPhone user stares at the device, Thomason’s digital camera captures the iPhone snapping multiple infrared images every five to 10 seconds.

DAWG SAYS: I WONDER WHY.

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THE SUCCESS OF NASA KEPLER TELESCOPE (VIDEO)

THE SUCCESS OF NASA KEPLER TELESCOPE

NASA’s Kepler mission has discovered 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets. These discoveries nearly double the number of verified Kepler planets and triple the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, the star

ATT SELLING RUMOR DUMPING DIRECTV

AT&T nears deal with TPG to sell large minority stake in DirecTV, U-verse at $15 billion valuation

  • AT&T is nearing a deal with TPG to sell a substantial minority stake in DirecTV, U-verse and AT&T TV.
  • Transaction will value AT&T’s video businesses at around $15 billion

AT&T is nearing a deal to sell a substantial minority stake in its DirecTV, AT&T TV Now and U-Verse business to private equity firm TPG, according to people familiar with the matter.

A deal could be announced as soon as this week, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private.

The deal will value the AT&T businesses around at $15 billion. AT&T acquired DirecTV in 2015 for $48.5 billion ($67 billion with debt).

AT&T has moved away from traditional pay TV in the past several years as it has centered its media strategy around HBO Max. DirecTV, U-Verse and AT&T TV Now are based around a linear TV business of broadcast and cable networks that is losing millions of subscribers each year.

AT&T lost nearly 3 million video customers last year and took a $15.5 billion impairment charge due to the company’s reevaluation of its domestic video business.

A sale will provide AT&T with additional cash to pay down its debt, which stands at about $150 billion and has consistently declined through the past year.

Hedge fund Elliott Management took an activist stake in AT&T in September 2019. In a letter to management, Elliott asked AT&T to focus its strategic operations while considering divesting noncore assets — including DirecTV. AT&T CEO John Stankey has resisted a full sale.

DAWG SAYS: PERSONALLY, I HAD DIRECTV FOR YEARS AND RECENTLY CUT THE CORD AS IT GOT WAY TOO EXPENSIVE AND HAVE OTHER MEANS FOR TV NOW.

ELON MUSK DEFYING THE FAA

ELON MUSK DEFYING THE FAA

The FAA Said SpaceX Couldn’t Launch Starship, But It Fueled Up Anyway

SpaceX had been scheduled to test the latest iteration of its Starship rocket yesterday.

Then the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it had scrubbed the launch — prompting a furious response from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

But instead of standing down, SpaceX went ahead and continued fueling up the spacecraft. In fact, at press time, SpaceX had completed the fueling process and moved on to the final pre-launch step of chilling the engine.

Final Countdown

Defying the FAA would presumably put SpaceX in extraordinary legal jeopardy — although, at the same time, Musk does have a history of standing up to powerful government entities.

In light of that, it’s unclear whether SpaceX is now treating the exercise as a dress rehearsal for a launch, or if it’s still negotiating with the FAA to reschedule the launch, or if it’s modified the day’s plans to do a static test fire instead of the planned high-altitude flight.

For its part, the FAA issued a statement reading that it will “continue working with SpaceX to resolve outstanding safety issues before we approve the next test flight.”

The flight is now scheduled for Monday.

IDAHO ISP BLOCK ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA UPON REQUEST

IDAHO ISP BLOCK ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIA UPON REQUEST

Idaho Internet Provider Blocks Access to Twitter, Facebook to Customers Who Request It

IDAHO ISP BLOCK ACCESS TO FACEBOOK/TWITTER UPON REQUEST

A North Idaho Internet provider blocked access to Twitter and Facebook at its customers’ requests.

According to emails sent to customers over the weekend, Your T1 WIFI—which provides services in the Spokane and northern Idaho areas—said it received phone calls from customers after those websites moved to block certain types of content and suspended accounts associated with President Donald Trump.

“It has come to our attention that Twitter and Facebook are engaged in censorship of our customers and information,” an email to Your T1 WIFI customers said.

“We have the past couple days been fielding calls from customers voicing the concern that they do not want these sites allowed to be displayed on their internet feed…and that they do not want their children to go to these sites,” the email added. “They could do this themselves but some do not have the technical knowledge to do so and it would be very tiresome for us to do it for them and it would be expensive to visit each customer that wants this done.”

Bret Fink, the owner of Your T1 WiFi, told Newsweek that the emails are authentic. Customers had requested that Twitter and Facebook become “inaccessible” in their households, Fink said.

IT IS STRICTLY A PERSONAL CHOICE

Fink clarified to KREM that people who did not request the block will still be able to access the websites.

“We’ve had customers asked to be blocked by it. That is what the email was about, so no we are not blocking anybody, only the ones that have asked for it,” Fink said, according to the station.

The company also said that it doesn’t agree with Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other tech companies engaging in censorship.

“Our company does not believe a website or social networking site has the authority to censor what you see and post and hide information from you, stop you from seeing what your friends and family are posting,” the email from Your T1 WIFI  said, adding: “We also don’t condone what Google, Amazon, Twitter, Facebook, and Apple are doing … to Parler by trying to strong arm them into submission.”

A representative with Idaho’s state attorney general’s office said it doesn’t have the jurisdiction to enforce any laws, including net neutrality laws, in the matter.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned of unchecked power being wielded on behalf of tech companies after Facebook and Twitter suspended Trump.

DAWG SAYS: THAT IS A GREAT IDEA-MESS WITH THEIR PROFITS AND IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT.