Tech & Science Archives - Page 35 of 114

Apple to Benefit Research with Their New CareKit

March 22, 2016 By Deborah Campbell Leave a Comment

With what was probably the most easily forgotten detail discussed yesterday at Apple’s press event, the introduction of Apple CareKit, the tech giant actively begins working with doctors, researchers and other types of medical staff to understand and study the various afflictions that can befall us. CareKit is somewhat similar to the default Health applications in the sense that it tracks a lot of information with a little assistance from the user. However, it focuses more on real health concerns rather than keeping in check a generic and healthy lifestyle.

CareKit is a new software framework that has been designed by Apple to allow developers to create various apps that keep track of different medical conditions. This framework can ultimately help both the user and medical staff; by monitoring symptoms, medication, reactions to the medication applied and plans, the users along their family members, doctors or nurses can take action a lot sooner with a variety of health concerns.

Not only that, but anyone can actively make use of CareKit to observe and understand their own health, to study the various effects that medication or different types of foods or sugars have on them. Similarly, researchers could make use of the data coming from numerous individuals to perform their own study or research, which can only truly result in a further betterment of healthcare worldwide.

CareKit will be released next month as an open source framework, allowing members of the developer community to create apps and build functionalities based on four basic modules that Apple is bringing alongside their software. The modules in question are:

Care Card. This module will allow the user to plan actions such as taking medication or performing physical exercises as part of a therapy, allowing them to track their progress or set reminders using a variety of iDevices.
Symptom and Measurement Tracker. This module is responsible for allowing the user to record a variety of data regarding symptoms, temperature, how they feel, pain levels or fatigue by the use of surveys, progressive timeline of photos or the sensors that are baked into the devices.
Insight Dashboard. One of the simpler modules, Insight Dashboard is in charge of mapping symptoms next to the action items that have been entered into the system to show how treatments are working.
Lastly, Connect. This is the part of the software that allows the user to communicate and share information with the parties involved, ranging from family members to doctors that are in charge of their medication and treatment.

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On the Hunt for the Most Eccentric Planets

March 21, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

An eccentric planet in scientific terms doesn’t quite mean the same thing one would expect in most other topics of discussion. When talking about space objects that move around their parent star, an eccentric planet refers to a perfectly circular orbit. In that case, we say that the eccentricity of said planet is zero while higher values will describe a more elliptical orbit.

In our solar system, the best example of an eccentric planet would be Pluto: not only does the orbit rest at an approximate 17-degree angle from what is usually considered horizontal, but its orbit – which takes 248 Earth years to complete – comes as close as 29 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, and 49 AU when furthest away, scoring the highest planet orbit deviation in our solar system.

Because of the unnatural way in which they orbit their parent stars as well as their effects on the objects that they move around, scientists have long manifested a huge interest in them. As a result, they are constantly scouting out the nearest solar systems from the Milky Way for such planets using a variety of observers and telescopes – airborne or on land.

Their quest for locating these peculiar objects in space has recently elicited results as researchers may have just found one of the ‘most eccentric’ planets we have ever witnessed. And it’s not even that far away from friendly land: 117 light years away from planet Earth. On a cosmic level, that is pretty much next door. The exoplanet, named HD 20782, scores an orbital eccentricity of 0.96 and it comes at its closest point in its orbit only once every 597 Earth days.

Even though the planet comes close in mass to Jupiter, its movements around the binary star system make it resemble a comet more than it does a planet as it slows down when it comes close to the parent star – at a staggering distance of 0.06 AU, or 9 million kilometers – then slingshots away into what appears to be an almost flat orbit.

But that is not the only feature of interest regarding HD 20782. On top of the peculiar system that it resides in, scientists have also managed to get a glimpse of the planet’s atmospheric composition when it reflected the star’s light. Researchers speculate that the flash was a result of its atmosphere being suddenly heated by stellar wind when it came at the lowest of its orbit. The findings have been officially published in the online Astrophysical Journal on February 28^th.

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Much Awaited Apple Press Event Takes Place Today

March 21, 2016 By Nancy Young Leave a Comment

In less than 5 hours from now, the event that has filled the internet with predictions regarding the upcoming Apple releases will be taking place at 10 AM Pacific time today. Finally, the public’s theories regarding a possible new iPad model, the phone that is iPhone 5 sized but includes iPhone 6 standard of hardware as well as some news about what’s in store for the future of Apple Watch may be finally confirmed. Or otherwise, there’s no telling what surprises Apple has in stock for us.

As a pre-emptive move on behalf of Apple, in expectance of the event, the Apple Store has been closed temporarily since 4 AM PT, putting a pause to online shopping for now. According to reports, the website will be updated with the new suspected purchases once the press event begins later today and be recommissioned as a result.

Accessing the store website is still possible right now, allowing you to browse products, but effective purchases are offline. Attempting to make a purchase will greet you with the following message: “We can’t wait to show you what we have in store. Our virtual doors are just about to open. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and your patience as we work to get everyone in as quickly as possible. Keep checking back, because it won’t be long now.”

However, those expecting some huge product announcement may end up slightly disappointed as it’s not very likely for Apple to announce major mobile devices during this time of year. It is more usual for the tech giant to announce or release its upcoming state of the art devices during fall, September and October scoring as the most likely time for them to do it.

Several reports speculate that this change of pace in Apple’s conduit may be the result of dwindling sales that the company seems to be confronted with as the market becomes diversified with highly performant devices that compete head to head with the former’s.

Apple’s tag line for the press event taking place today is ‘Let us loop you in’ which could very well be a teaser for one of two possible versions of the story. One is the suspected release of a whole new series of Apple Watch bands including a fashionable version of the Milanese Loop. The other may refer to where the Apple headquarters is located – 1 Infinite Loop – which would suggest something relating directly to their home office and appointed infrastructure.

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Amazon Urges You to Update your Kindle

March 21, 2016 By Michael Turner Leave a Comment

Amazon has begun notifying its Kindle users to update their software if they wish to continue being able to download new e-books in the near future. This, however, only applies to Kindle e-book readers that are still using older versions of the software. Not updating until the 22^nd of March will result in the inability to download any content using an internet connection after that date.

Amazon has so far forwarded notification e-mails to its users saying that several devices’ software will be rendered practically useless after tomorrow, where anyone attempting to download content will be greeted with an error message stating that “Your Kindle is unable to connect at this time. Please make sure you are within wireless range and try again. If the problem persists, please restart your Kindle from Menu in Settings and try again.”

If you encounter this error message starting tomorrow, you should proceed to manually installing the update using a Wi-Fi connection of choice. The affected devices that are expected to no longer function outside of offline use – with pre-downloaded books and content – are Kindle 2^nd Generation 2009 and Kindle DX 2^nd Generation 2009, running version 2.5.8, Kindle Keyboard 3^rd Generation 2010 running 3.4.2, Kindle 4^th and 5^th generation 2011-2012 using 4.1.3, Kindle Touch 4^th Generation 2011 running version 5.3.7.3 and Kindle Paperwhite 5^th Generation 2012 running the 5.6.1.1 software build.

The inability to properly function extends to more than just not being able to download books and content, also preventing you from doing things such as syncing reading progress.

In order to regain the ability to run older versions of the Kindle software, users should immediately proceed to manually updating their devices by plugging the Kindle into the mains, connecting to an available Wi-Fi and tapping the ‘Sync and Check for Items’ option from the system menu.

Some individuals may experience difficulty when attempting to upgrade. This can be the result of various factors. Such factors may include different Kindle models that require a special method of updating its native software; in this case, users should visit the official Amazon support website for additional assistance and model-specific help. Furthermore, some devices may not detect an update available in the first stage. In that case, users of pre-2013 Amazon Kindles should proceed and manually restart their devices and reattempt locating the software through the settings menu.

After March 22^nd, updating will only be possible by connecting your device to a computer with a valid internet connection and manually applying the update.

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YouTube Joins the T-Mobile Binge On Program

March 18, 2016 By Kenneth Scott Leave a Comment

Ever since its inception, the T-Mobile Binge On Program has been a rather controversial and highly disputed feature that the carrier decided to offer and hold onto even up to this day. The reason it achieved this very tender and disputable position was the result of numerous activists claiming that the program was not respecting the rules of net neutrality from more than one perspective.

In essence, T-Mobile’s Binge On Program offered unlimited data for users to spend on the select partnered services. As an example, as long as you used Hulu for video streaming, you could watch to your heart’s content, without ever needing to fear exceeding your data limit.

The catch – something that did not calm the waters down by any means whatsoever – was that the unlimited streaming would only be available at a lower quality with videos normally capping at 480p, for example.

But apparently, while some parties joined into the debate whether what T-Mobile is doing is equitable from net neutrality’s perspective or not and still remain dedicated to their opinion, others had a change of heart. While in December last year, YouTube was accusing the American carrier of throttling data and downright violating FCC rules and regulations, yesterday brought some very surprising news.

Apparently, YouTube and Google Play Movies will soon become available on the Binge On program. The reason behind the sudden change of opinion is unclear, although Google discussed their own analysis of the situation before deciding to join forces with T-Mobile. According to the tech giant, the two delicate issues that T-Mobile was touching down on previous have been addressed, meaning that the improved services that the Binge On program offers now are on par with the quality standards expected.

Meanwhile, the program has been made easier to use for customers too; you can now easily turn it on or off through texting and very basic app navigation. At the same time, signing up for Binge On will let you know exactly what the details of the deal are.

What this means for T-Mobile, considering that two gigantic names are, in essence joining sides with the carrier, is that the controversy and dispute of their practice may finally come to an end.

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New Horizons’ Flyby of Pluto Concludes into Five Papers

March 18, 2016 By Karen Jackson Leave a Comment

Ever since New Horizons fulfilled the mission it set out for more than ten years ago – to do a flyby of the dwarf planet Pluto – scientists have been thoroughly caught with studying every single piece of data and image that the probe beamed back to Earth. It is not very clear why humanity feels a strong attraction to the small, frozen and distant planet of our solar system. However, ever since its discovery in 1930, scientists have put in superhuman efforts to understand the peculiar nature of one of the last known objects of the solar system we live in.

This week, New Horizons scientists have finally published no less than five papers regarding Pluto in the journal Science, detailing all findings that they have achieved following the probe’s flyby of Pluto’s system during last summer. What was previously believed to be a dark, cold piece of rock slowly drifting onto the very edges of the solar system is now depicted of having a complex world with active and varied geology, what appears to be an atmosphere that can generate clouds of unknown chemistry.

And as small as this dwarf planet is, it still manages to maintain an entire system of even smaller moons and shows what appears to be a very animated world, despite its location at an average 39.5 astronomical units (AU; 1 astronomical unit equals roughly 143 million kilometers or 93 million miles) from the sun.

The first set of papers that are being published following the staggering exploration of New Horizons, the space craft that literally has gone where no man had gone before, even if remotely, treat the various aspects of the numerous discoveries made by scientists from nearly 50 gigabits of data that was collected by the craft. Out of everything that New Horizons has seen and learned, researchers have compiled a list of several central points of their findings, as they are treated and explained in the papers.

The geologic analysis of Pluto’s surface revealed a planet that has been active in the past 4 billion years, while some of its geographical areas are smooth and lacking in craters, which suggests young and newly formed (in astronomical terms, 10 million years old does qualify as new) planes. Studying Pluto’s atmosphere revealed possible reasons behind the formation of what is now known as the planet’s haze players, as well as temperature levels and the composition that seems to different depending on altitude.

The summary of all the findings that the New Horizons made during its five months spent nearby Pluto’s system can be found in PDF form on the Science Magazine official website.

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The Dangerous Aspects of Owning Smart Cars

March 18, 2016 By Deborah Campbell Leave a Comment

As automobiles become more computerized, they tend to inherit the same dangers that a computer itself would be exposed to. While previous types of vehicles would – in essence – only be threatened by the prospect of having your keys stolen or your alarm system jammed and turned off, the ideas that all these new, modern cars plan to include are a lot more vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.

This is something that the FBI and the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned carmakers about. This comes as a highly valid concern on behalf of carmakers and owners of ‘smart’ automobiles, as previous year was reason enough for Fiat and General Motors Co to reconsider some of their security systems for vehicles and the synced smartphones.

In July 2015, 1.4 million Fiat Chrysler cars in the U.S. were recalled at the company’s centers to install extra security software after a particular magazine report started raising some concerns at the prospect of hacking cars. Meanwhile, General Motors Co also strengthened their smartphone app security through an update, after finding out that a fairly unequipped hacker could take control of some of the functions of a hybrid electric Chevrolet Volt.

BMW AG also announced that it had fixed a weakness in their software that may have allowed hackers to remotely open doors of vehicles without effort.

While no real-world attack of the sorts has ever taken place, it was increasingly worrisome when engineers and programmers came to the conclusion that the 2014 Jeep Cherokee could’ve easily had its steering, transmission and brakes hacked in and taken control of remotely, endangering the life of drivers, on top of threatening their possessions.

In order to protect owners from these dangers, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and the Association of Global Automakers opened an information sharing and analysis center last year to help propagate all the information available on this topic and help prevent real life attacks from happening. The public was also warned about fake emails that hackers could send, pretending to offer software updates from individuals’ cars and mobile phones, and therefore accidentally giving away the very key to their vehicles.

Now imagine what potential hackers could have on the autonomous vehicles that we expect to become a reality by the year 2030. Hijacking cars, kidnapping attempts and other terrifying prospects of the sort could be something that both carmakers and users will have to concern themselves with.

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Storks Give Up Migration in Favor of Junk Food

March 17, 2016 By Cristopher Hall Leave a Comment

While we’re certain this is not an example of human kind’s tendency towards laziness and procrastination, it would appear that European storks are modifying their natural behavior. This modification involves something that comes as a result of human influence as well as the global environmental change. Instead of migrating south during the winter, these birds remain on European land – most specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal – the entire year, where they have taken a liking to various types of junk food and other leftovers.

The particular storks that do display this type of behavior, however, are a new species that has suffered this change as a consequence of human actions. Researchers from the University of East Anglia have studied this species and announced their findings in a press release that was published two days ago, on Tuesday.

Their findings speak of this type of stork living near landfill sites, where junk food and remains of human meals are stocked up and provide a considerable amount of sustenance for the white storks. In essence, because they no longer need to migrate to warmer regions where they can find food during the winter season, this type of stork is now bound to the originating location.

As a result, the population of white storks in Portugal has gone up in numbers considerably in the past 20 years, nowadays accounting for 14,000 wintering birds. The reaction of scientists goes both ways, becoming of a mixture of enthusiasm at the prospect of studying the changes in migratory behavior and the concern expressed towards the fate of the white storks that have given up an incredibly old habit.

When the researchers studying these birds connected GPS tracking devices on the bodies of 48 different white storks, they learned more about their flight patterns, flight distances, their nesting areas, and their feeding areas. This confirmed that the white storks’ had taken a liking to landfills in the slightly warmer climate of Spain and Portugal, and as a result, would no longer feel compelled to travel all the way to African planes in order to be able to feed during the winter.

However, some concerns may arise regarding this change in behavior. Just recently, the European Union has decided that a number of these landfills will slowly be closed and replaced with facilities that keep food waste covered and away from outside access. Considering the storks in question are staying during the winter, it may cause a small decrease in the population until they regain their migration habits again.

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One Day PlayStation and Xbox May Truly Coexist

March 17, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

One factor that game developers and hardware manufacturers have yet to achieve in the world of video games has been cross-platform gaming. While it was planned multiple times by various companies, very few titles that were capable of that ever truly came to fruition. One sadly failed example of cross-platform gaming was Microsoft’s Fable Legends that was supposed to be released along with Lionhead Studios for PC and Xbox One this year; the announcement that the game development had been cancelled came this month.

Meanwhile, a popular title of casual online play, Rocket League, is rising like a tidal wave and not only preparing cross-platform play, but also scheduled to make a retail release sometime later this year. Similarly, a couple of other examples have waded their way out of the platform-exclusive trap and became available via multiple means – Tom Clancy’s The Division and Street Fighter V.

Regardless, this is an abysmally low number of titles in a world where every year brings hundreds of new games, and only very few exclusives to one particular platform (e.g. Bloodborne was released for PlayStation 4 only). So while plenty of titles out there have a well-designed multiplayer system and mechanics, many may end up being squandered over the lack of cross-play between PC, Xbox and PlayStation.

A recent discussion with Sony Executive Adam Boyes at the Game Developers Conference reveals some of the plans and possibilities in this regard. When asked about this, Boyes first brought up the already existent examples such as Dust 514 and the aforementioned Street Fighter V, along with the way Diablo 3 and Grand Theft Auto V players may import character from Xbox 360 onto the PlayStation 4.

Boyes mentioned that in what Sony’s PSN is concerned, they have always been open about making it a possibility. However, it would appear that the main barrier in making this happen at the current time are not Sony and Microsoft, respectively, when it comes to consoles. Instead, Boyes said that it falls down to the support that game developers are willing to offer in this direction.

According to him, if game developers decide to throw a bone in the cross-platform multiplayer capability direction, both PSN and Xbox Live would most likely support it, as there’s little to no technical difficulty in making this happen. Similarly, Xbox indie developer director Chris Charla announced earlier this week that Xbox One is also opening its doors towards the cross-platform multiplayer prospect.

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Secrets of the Shifting Bright Spots of Ceres

March 17, 2016 By Roxanne Briean Leave a Comment

While a large portion of the focus of NASA is currently going towards the ‘Journey to Mars’ mission and its prerequisites, the space objects beyond the Red Planet remain an intriguing study topic as well. One such fascinating subject of discussion for scientists is the dwarf planet Ceres that lies just between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and is considered the largest object in the asteroid belt.

At only 945 kilometers in diameter, Ceres could appear a very dull dwarf planet, displaying nothing more than a battered gray surface, with dozens of craters left by impacts with various meteorites. But on a closer inspection of some of the craters left by such impacts, one can notice that the small planet displays some bright spots inside these craters that were not that visible until the Dawn probe managed to capture a few ‘close-ups’ of the planet’s surface.

Ceres is believed to have a rocky core and icy mantle, as well as what is suspected to be an internal ocean of liquid water. Previous to the Dawn probe’s arrival close enough to the dwarf planet in order to study it, it fell down onto the Hubble Space Telescope to study its surface. But given the long distance and the very small size of Ceres, not much was achieved other than detecting a variation on the surface. Surprisingly, this variation was detected right where the Dawn probe later spotted the bright spots.

It was eventually concluded, thanks to the images that the Dawn probe was able to capture, that the spots are most likely made of hydrated magnesium sulfates. In earthlier terms, these are very similar to bath salts. Prolonged study of these bright spots revealed that the icy materials in and around the shiny, bright spots may be turning straight into vapor when they are hit and heated by sunlight.

This is a discovery that was made by comparing the different reflectivity levels displayed. Vapor will reflect sunlight differently than solid ice does. The two bright spots located in the 80-kilometer-wide crater called Occator were revealed to be a conglomerate of what appears to be as many as ten different spots. Scientists believe that these spots freeze at night and evaporate within direct sunlight, but certain differences and a lack of perfect cyclicity of this process does anything but confirm this hypothesis.

Researchers are currently devising a method of continuing their study on these bright spots of Ceres through means that can be employed from the surface of the Earth.

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