Geek News

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope has been a long time in the making when work on its mirrors started in 2007. It's finally coming together, though. The LSST team has released a brief clip showing progress on the Chilean facility as of the end of 2017. Not surprisingly, it's huge -- that giant 3.2-gigapixel camera (potentially the largest in the world) and ultra-wide optics (3.5 degrees in diameter) take up a lot of space by themselves, let alone the rest of the complex. As far as the LSST has come, it has a long way to go. It won't see engineering first light (that is, first actual use) until 2019, and its 10-year survey won't start until January 2022. This is more a preview of what astronomy will be like in the next decade. Between this and the Giant Magellan Telescope , scientists will capture an unprecedented level of detail that promises to reveal elements of the universe that just weren't detectable before. Source: LSST (YouTube) via Engadget RSS Fe...

Samsung has unveiled a sweet-looking Galaxy Note 8 you might never get your hands on. The Korean conglomerate has designed a limited edition version of its extra large phone exclusively for 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics participants. It's fitted with a shiny white back glass to represent snow and wintertime, and it's adorned with a gold Olympics logo and similarly gold accents as inspired by the Olympics torch. Inside, it's still the same Galaxy Note 8 everyone else has, minus the pre-loaded PyeongChang 2018 themed wallpapers. Samsung will distribute 4,000 devices to competing athletes and staff members before the games begin in early February. All Paralympic Winter Games participants will also get cases that feature the Paralympic Games logo to go with their new phones. Since the company has been an Olympic partner for decades, a special edition for the event is par for the course, especially now that the event is being held in its home country. While it's unf...

You don't just have to attend Sacramento Kings games if you're itching to spend some digital money on a pro sports event. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has confirmed (both to Bloomberg and on Twitter ) that his basketball team will start accepting bitcoin and ethereum for ticket purchases during the 2018-2019 NBA season. It'll also accept tokens from companies with "business relationships." In short: if you've benefited from the bitcoin boom , you can probably score some courtside seats. The decision isn't coming out of the blue. While Cuban warned that bitcoin was in a bubble back in June, he also invested in it (not to mention a blockchain fund and Unikrn's digital tokens) before 2017 was over. He sees enough of a future in cryptocurrency that it only makes sense for his team to support it. You might not see other teams or leagues rushing to follow suit, but it does represent a vote of confidence for the emerging technology. Next season...

YouTube has been under fire for months over inappropriate content masquerading as kid-friendly videos and popular creators acting out of line . Now, Google has introduced stricter requirements for the video platform's YouTube Partners and Preferred programs over advertiser concerns , which could impact creators' earnings. To start with, Google will now manually vet videos and ensure they meet its ad-friendly guidelines before adding them to Preferred, a program that offers advertisers access to the top 5 percent content on the platform. Creators part of Preferred get more per click than their counterparts and have bigger earning potential. The program was recently thrust into the spotlight when it booted popular YouTuber Paul Logan from its roster. Logan was slammed for posting a video showing him and his friends laughing and making jokes upon coming across a body in Aokigahara, Japan's "suicide forest," and claiming that his video was meant to raise mental...

Trying to conceive can be stressful, and of course tech companies think that fertility gadgets can tell us the best time to have sex to get pregnant. But for most people, doing some simple math can provide the same answers, without spending any money. In the sea of period trackers, two fertility gadgets that use slightly different approaches are the EarlySense Percept , a “contactless” device that you store under your mattress to monitor your fertility cycle, and the Mira AI monitor, which essentially combines hormonal information from multiple urine tests. (Both companies were at this year’s CES, and I visited both booths.) The best time to conceive is right before a person ovulates, or releases an egg. Because internal body temperature... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2ENlWai"

Someone might have just spoiled Motorola's 2018 in a big way. Droid Life has posted a trio of leaks which, if accurate, hint at some big changes to the Lenovo brand's smartphone lineup. The headliner would be the Moto X5, and it's not hard to see why: the device reportedly includes a 5.9-inch, 18:9 aspect ratio display with an iPhone X -style notch. There's no visible fingerprint reader, for that matter, so the X5 is either relying on face detection (the dual front cameras could help with this) or has a fingerprint reader tucked under the screen . The X5 wouldn't lean solely on its screen as its selling point: there would also be a "smart AI" helping out, and dual rear cameras to complement those on the front. Not that the X would hog all the clever ideas. The Moto Z3 and Z3 Play would have tall, curved 6-inch screens but no notch (they'd be closer to the Galaxy S8). Instead, they'd rely on MotoMod support as their selling point -- there wo...

Science Why is it so hard to pinpoint ancient diseases? Nearly 500 years ago, in what we know call Mexico, a disease started rippling through the population. via Popular Science "http://ift.tt/2rgUMqm"

Like the thought of switching payment methods for a purchase long after you've left the store ? You now have a chance to try it. Curve has launched its smart card in the UK, letting you not only consolidate your credit cards (currently just Mastercard) and debit cards, but switch between them for payments up to 2 weeks after the transaction. If you know you're going to hit your credit limit, for instance, you can switch a purchase to debit to give yourself some breathing room. The companion mobile app also adds a slight twist to the smart card formula by placing an emphasis on financial management. You should have a better sense of your spending habits, and you can lock cards if need be. Curve is promising that you can use your cards overseas without currency exchange fees or other unstated costs. It's currently free to sign up for a Curve card, although spending £50 for Premium promises additional rewards. Just be ready to wait, especially if you're outside of th...

YouTube is tightening the rules around its partner program and raising the requirements that a channel/creator must meet in order to monetize videos. Effective immediately, to apply for monetization (and have ads attached to videos), creators must have tallied 4,000 hours of overall watch time on their channel within the past 12 months and have at least 1,000 subscribers. YouTube will enforce the new eligibility policy for all existing channels as of February 20th, meaning that channels that fail to meet the threshold will no longer be able to make income from ads. Previously, the standard for joining YouTube’s Partner Program was 10,000 public views — without any specific requirement for annual viewing hours. This change will no doubt... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2EN56sb"

Facebook's Watch tab won't just be chock-full of sports shows and gaming culture . The social site has ordered 10 episodes of Sacred Lies , an adaptation of the Stephanie Oakes novel The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly (which, in turn, is an adaptation of the Grimm Brothers' The Handless Maiden ). The show revolves around a handless teen who escapes from a cult and is believed to know who killed the cult leader. It's an intriguing (if not completely original) premise -- and importantly, there's an appropriate pedigree. The show will be executive produced by Raelle Tucker (shown above) and Scott Winant, who respectively produced and directed True Blood . Winant will also direct the first two episodes. While this is definitely different than True Blood , the reunion might bode well for Sacred Lies . The two also have strong backgrounds elsewhere: Tucker executive produces Netflix's Jessica Jones and has worked on Supernatural , while Winant has worked on everythi...

Despite Tesla's lead on the electric vehicle market, large automakers spent 2017 announcing they will transition their gas-powered car models to EVs. But other companies selling more elite vehicles are also throwing their hat in the ring. At NAIAS in Detroit, Ferrari stated it will build its own electric sportscar seven years after its previous president vowed the company would never build an EV. "If there is an electric supercar to be built, then Ferrari will be the first," Ferrari Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne told reporters, according to Bloomberg. "People are amazed at what Tesla did with a supercar: I'm not trying to minimize what Elon did but I think it's doable by all of us." Despite Marchionne's aspiration to be first past the post, Aston Martin and Volkswagen both claimed in 2017 to already be developing their own electric supercars. Ferrari didn't announce any details about its future EV, but its model will almost...

Quirky adventure game Night in the Woods is a finalist for three awards in the upcoming Independent Games Festival : the Seumas McNally grand prize, visual art and narrative categories. Now it's coming to Nintendo's Switch console this February 1st, a year after its initial release on Mac, Windows, Linux and PlayStation 4. The title is slated for a mobile release this year, as well. Good news, everyone - @NightInTheWoods is coming to the Nintendo Switch on February 1st! (US eShop date will be fixed shortly) https://t.co/5sEV7fV3qG — Finji @ PAX South (@FinjiCo) January 16, 2018 The game itself is witty as heck, with a young cat protagonist named Mae Borowski who drops out of college and returns to her hometown, which seems to be dealing with some mysterious events. The game deals with some pretty serious themes like mental illness, friendships and decaying small towns with relentless charm. If you haven't already grabbed a copy, the Switch version could be your ...

Just ahead of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show, Pioneer DJ has unveiled its newest controller, the DDJ-1000. Meant for dedicated use with its rekordbox dj software, the DDJ-1000 is designed to look almost exactly like the standard setup a DJ would encounter in a club, while also incorporating added functionality found in the brand’s other controller models. The problem with a lot of DJ controllers is that they don’t offer the same feedback as more expensive CDJs at a club. Club equipment is weighty, there’s nice haptic feedback from buttons, and the knobs have tension when turned. Many controllers technically offer much of the same functionalities, but with parts that just... don’t feel the same. This is one of the... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2DDqi4H"

Over the last week or so we've seen some wild concepts from Nissan at CES ( IMx ) and NAIAS ( Xmotion ), but as usual, its Leaf EV is quietly a story as well. The revamped electric vehicle is weeks away from going on sale, and the company tells Engadget that there are already 13,000 pre-orders. With a newly-extended range capable of 150 miles on a charge, its price starts at less than $30k (before any tax credit) for the base model and buyers can actually expect to receive one in 2018. Of course, there's the conundrum of another model due next year with even more range, but according to Nissan, this balances the range people wanted with a similar price to the original, and is enough to cover standard commuting. Meanwhile, the XMotion concept serves as a design exercise that combines the company's Japanese heritage and traditional materials with new technology. In the middle of the crossover SUV there's a wooden console using "traditional Japanese architectur...

Yesterday, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said that Senate Democrats now have a total of 50 votes in favor of restoring net neutrality . Today, the push back against the net neutrality repeal intensifies, as a companion House bill to reject the FCC's repeal now has 80 co-sponsors. What's more, 22 state attorneys general have also filed a lawsuit to block it from happening. The companion House bill is by Rep. Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania and is designed to accompany the "resolution of disapproval" sent in by Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts). Under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), the resolution needs simple majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass Congress, though there's also a chance a veto could override that (which itself could be overrode). The attorney general lawsuit, on the other hand, was brought by Eric T. Schneiderman of New York, who said to the New York Times that the net neutrality repeal would turn inter...

US Representative Jerry McNerney sent a letter to Intel , AMD and ARM today requesting a briefing on the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities and the companies' handling of them. McNerney, a California representative and member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said, "I am looking to better understand the nature of these critical vulnerabilities, the danger they pose to consumers and what steps your companies plan to take to protect consumers." The Meltdown and Spectre security flaws were brought to everyone's attention earlier this month and a number of companies have released patches to address the exploits . Intel, which has promised to patch all recent chips by the end of the month , is now facing a number of lawsuits over the bugs. Along with requesting a briefing, Representative McNerney also listed a handful of issues that the companies should be able to address. Those include questions about how consumers will be impacted by Spectre and Melt...

Various improvements to how certain particle effects are stored. One impact this has is a format change for the particle snapshot system. While this specific feature has never been officially supported, if there are any Custom Games using models generating custom snapshots we recommend that they be updated to match the new requirements (specifically, output files must always be specified and have the form “particles/*.vsnap”). We’ve also implemented a feature to automatically convert any particles referencing Valve snapshots to the new system. via Steam RSS News Feed "http://ift.tt/2Dbj2Mr"

An Apple supplier in China has once again been flagged for having poor factory working conditions by a report today from non-profit China Labor Watch , which Bloomberg added original reporting to. The report details working conditions at a Catcher Technology factory, which manufactures products for Apple in Suqian, Jiangsu province, six hours north of Shanghai. Workers at Catcher make iPhone frames and components for MacBooks. On a typical day, workers may stand for up to 10 hours to cut and blast iPhone casings, according to the report. The workers are said to handle harmful chemicals daily without goggles or proper gloves to protect their hands or faces. Workers do wear paper face masks, but the oil they use to cut iPhone casings may... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2Dgk7X5"

Bringing broadband internet access to rural areas has been an ongoing , long-term effort, but millions of Americans, including over a third of rural citizens according to 2016 reports , still don't have the option. Today FCC Chairman Ajit Pai proposed an order that would put $500 million in funding towards closing the broadband gap , institute new regulations aimed at preventing abuse of the Connect America Fund and promote broadband access in tribal lands. "We need more deployment in sparsely populated rural areas if we're going to extend digital opportunity to all Americans," Pai said in a statement . "But I've heard from community leaders, Congress and carriers that insufficient, unpredictable funding has kept them from reaching this goal. With the $500 million in new funding provided by this order, we'll boost broadband deployment in rural America and put our high-cost system on a more efficient path, helping to ensure that every American can benef...

While most movies and TV shows on Amazon Channels are available on demand, a few of them can be watched live at the same time they're broadcast on traditional TV. If you use a Fire TV stick to watch television and movies on the big screen, you might now see a new row of available live programming called On Now in the newly available channel guide. The On Now row appears at the top of the guide and shows all the programming available to you live, provided you're a subscriber to HBO, Showtime, Starz or Cinemax. The channel guide also lets you browse all of the shows and movies you can watch in the future, just like a standard cable TV guide. Simply press the Options hamburger button on the Alexa Voice Remote while you're watching live TV to access the guide. All the channels you've favorited will show up at the top, too. You can also do the same thing with your voice, either with the microphone button on your Alexa Voice Remote or via a connected Echo device. "...

In the first high-profile attempt to block the FCC’s rollback of net neutrality rules through the courts, 22 state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit challenging the plan. Led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, the petition asks a court to find that the FCC’s plan runs afoul of federal law. “An open internet — and the free exchange of ideas it allows – is critical to our democratic process,” Schneiderman said in a statement announcing the suit. “The repeal of net neutrality would turn internet service providers into gatekeepers – allowing them to put profits over consumers while controlling what we see, what we do, and what we say online.” Developing... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FGfcMV"

An interactive booklet called Papier Machine is making beautiful STEM toys that are actually fun and accessible, by combining paper with electronic circuitry. The booklet contains pages silkscreened with conductive silver ink that can be assembled to create six electronic paper toys. It also comes with two button cells, two metallic marbles, two piezo elements, and two sound components that can be reused with each interactive toy. The first in a collection of thematic books, Papier Machine Vol.0 focuses on the theme of sound. “Circuits hide a surprising narrative potential that we wanted to make visible,” the video below explains. Users can close the circuits by drawing them in with a graphite pencil, and play around with the pitch and... Continue reading… via The Verge - Tech Posts "http://ift.tt/2FMgXZ2"

Microsoft's Xbox Elite controller is pricey, but arguably the go-to choice for Xbox One owners who want a gamepad that fits their exact needs. And apparently, there's enough demand to merit a sequel. Multiple leaks appear to have uncovered a new Elite controller that builds on lessons learned from the first model. If the tips are accurate, it would include Bluetooth (to painlessly connect to your PC), a USB-C wired connection, an Apple MagSafe -style charging connector on the back and a built-in battery instead of disposables. And naturally, there are more tweaks for players who want their controls just so . To begin with, the new details suggests that an earlier leak showing the whole controller (from Reddit's EDDS86, below) is accurate: it'd have new grips that make sure your hands are steady in frantic sessions. The new scoops also suggest there will be a three-profile switch, three-level hair trigger locks and adjustable stick tension. Microsoft had applied fo...