Archive for the ‘mobile phones’ category: Page 167
Oct 3, 2018
Liquid crystals and the origin of life
Posted by Xavier Rosseel in categories: biotech/medical, computing, genetics, mobile phones
The display screens of modern televisions, cell phones and computer monitors rely on liquid crystals—materials that flow like liquids but have molecules oriented in crystal-like structures. However, liquid crystals may have played a far more ancient role: helping to assemble Earth’s first biomolecules. Researchers reporting in ACS Nano have found that short RNA molecules can form liquid crystals that encourage growth into longer chains.
Scientists have speculated that life on Earth originated in an “RNA world,” where RNA fulfilled the dual role of carrying genetic information and conducting metabolism before the dawn of DNA or proteins. Indeed, researchers have discovered catalytic RNA strands, or “ribozymes,” in modern genomes. Known ribozymes are about 16–150 nucleotides in length, so how did these sequences assemble in a primordial world without existing ribozymes or proteins? Tommaso Bellini and colleagues wondered if liquid crystals could help guide short RNA precursors to form longer strands.
To find out, the researchers explored different scenarios under which short RNAs could self-assemble. They found that at high concentrations, short RNA sequences (either 6 or 12 nucleotides long) spontaneously ordered into liquid crystal phases. Liquid crystals formed even more readily when the researchers added magnesium ions, which stabilized the crystals, or polyethylene glycol, which sequestered RNA into highly concentrated microdomains. Once the RNAs were held together in liquid crystals, a chemical activator could efficiently join their ends into much longer strands. This arrangement also helped avoid the formation of circular RNAs that could not be lengthened further. The researchers point out that polyethylene glycol and the chemical activator would not be found under primordial conditions, but they say that other molecular species could have played similar, if less efficient, roles.
Oct 1, 2018
Google Maps adds ‘Commute’ tab w/ live traffic info, Spotify, Apple Music integration
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: media & arts, mobile phones
The Commute tab for Maps first popped up in a limited rollout in early September, but starting today it’s rolling out to users on Android and iOS. Google says that this new feature is designed to help you “take control over your commute.” It built the feature with the fact that, in many cities across North America, rush hour traffic can result in a commute that takes up to 60% longer than expected.
With the new Commute tab, Google Maps can provide live data on traffic to help you best manage your daily trip to work. It automatically accounts for accidents or heavy traffic and can help you better budget your time to account for that or provide alternate routes. Android users will have notifications on these updates sent to their device before getting caught in the delay.
Sep 30, 2018
Liz Parrish in an insightful conversation with Nick Delgado (Sept 22, 2018 @RAADfest)
Posted by Montie Adkins in categories: biotech/medical, mobile phones
Liz talking about gene therapy.
Liz Parrish in conversation with Nick Delgado, PhD, ABAAHP, CHT, Lifestyle Anti-Aging Medicine Author.
Sep 29, 2018
Meet the B.C. man who implants technology to increase his physical capabilities News
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: biotech/medical, cryonics, cyborgs, mobile phones, robotics/AI, supercomputing, transhumanism
But where advocates like Foxx mostly see the benefits of transhumanism, some critics say it raises ethical concerns in terms of risk, and others point out its potential to exacerbate social inequality.
Foxx says humans have long used technology to make up for physical limitations — think of prosthetics, hearing aids, or even telephones. More controversial technology aimed to enhance or even extend life, like cryogenic freezing, is also charted terrain.
The transhumanist movement isn’t large, but Foxx says there is a growing awareness and interest in technology used to enhance or supplement physical capability.
Sep 25, 2018
No longer whistling in the dark: Scientists uncover source of perplexing waves
Posted by Genevieve Klien in categories: mobile phones, satellites
Magnetic reconnection, the snapping apart and violent reconnection of magnetic field lines in plasma—the state of matter composed of free electrons and atomic nuclei—occurs throughout the universe and can whip up space storms that disrupt cell phone service and knock out power grids. Now scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) and other laboratories, using data from a NASA four-satellite mission that is studying reconnection, have developed a method for identifying the source of waves that help satellites determine their location in space.
Sep 24, 2018
How Europe can improve the development of AI
Posted by Derick Lee in categories: economics, employment, military, mobile phones, robotics/AI
THE two superpowers of artificial intelligence (AI) are America and China. Their tech giants have collected the most data, attracted the best talent and boast the biggest computing clouds—the main ingredients needed to develop AI services from facial recognition to self-driving cars. Their dominance deeply worries the European Union, the world’s second-largest economic power (see article). It is busily concocting plans to close the gap.
That Europe wants to foster its own AI industry is understandable. Artificial intelligence is much more than another Silicon Valley buzzword—more, even, than seminal products like the smartphone. It is better seen as a resource, a bit like electricity, that will touch every part of the economy and society. Plenty of people fret that, without its own cutting-edge research and AI champions, big digital platforms based abroad will siphon off profits and jobs and leave the EU a lot poorer. The technology also looms large in military planning. China’s big bet on AI is partly a bet on autonomous weapons; America is likely to follow the same path. Given the doubt over whether America will always be willing to come to Europe’s defence, some see spending on AI as a matter of national security.
Sep 18, 2018
If You’re Not Using PhoneSoap Yet, You Need To Be
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: mobile phones
Because if you’re not sanitizing your phone each day, you might as well be drinking from the toilet.
Sep 18, 2018
Japan eager to be on board vertical-takeoff ‘flying cars’
Posted by Bill Kemp in categories: drones, environmental, government, mobile phones
Electric drones booked through smartphones pick people up from office rooftops, shortening travel time by hours, reducing the need for parking and clearing smog from the air.
This vision of the future is driving the Japanese government’s “flying car” project. Major carrier All Nippon Airways, electronics company NEC Corp. and more than a dozen other companies and academic experts hope to have a road map for the plan ready by the year’s end.
“This is such a totally new sector Japan has a good chance for not falling behind,” said Fumiaki Ebihara, the government official in charge of the project.
Continue reading “Japan eager to be on board vertical-takeoff ‘flying cars’” »
Sep 13, 2018
You have 3 months to replace your faulty iPhone battery for $29 before the price goes up
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: mobile phones
Apple just unveiled three new iPhones during its annual September press conference, the three phones we all expected to see Apple announce. But it also killed six models in the process, retiring the aging iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, and the iPhone X. While Apple won’t sell these particular phones in store, it doesn’t mean they’re just going to disappear. They may become even more attractive to buyers looking for used iPhone deals. But if you are going to buy one of the older phones, especially the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s, make sure you verify the health of their batteries and replace them before Apple’s deal expires.