Nov 02
Steve King Loses More Donors Over His White Nationalist Views
Posted in: UncategorizedThe Iowa congressman is facing a backlash after spouting racist rhetoric to a far-right Austrian propaganda site.
Nov 02
The continuing die-off of the world’s coral reefs is a depressing reminder of the reality of climate change, but it’s also something we can actively push back on. Conservationists have a new tool to do so with LarvalBot, an underwater robot platform that may greatly accelerate efforts to re-seed old corals with healthy new polyps.
The robot has a history going back to 2015, when a prototype known as COTSbot was introduced, capable of autonomously finding and destroying the destructive crown of thorns starfish (hence the name). It has since been upgraded and revised by the team at the Queensland University of Technology, and in its hunter-killer form is known as the RangerBot.
But the same systems that let it safely navigate and monitor corals for invasive fauna also make it capable of helping these vanishing ecosystems more directly.
Great Barrier Reef coral spawn yearly in a mass event that sees the waters off north Queensland filled with eggs and sperm. Researchers at Southern Cross University have been studying how to reap this harvest and sow a new generation of corals. They collect the eggs and sperm and sequester them in floating enclosures, where they are given a week or so to develop into viable coral babies (not my term, but I like it). These coral babies are then transplanted carefully to endangered reefs.
LarvalBot comes into play in that last step.
“We aim to have two or three robots ready for the November spawn. One will carry about 200,000 larvae and the other about 1.2 million,” explained QUT’s Matthew Dunbabin in a news release. “During operation, the robots will follow preselected paths at constant altitude across the reef and a person monitoring will trigger the release of the larvae to maximise the efficiency of the dispersal.”
It’s something a diver would normally have to do, so the robot acts as a force multiplier — one that doesn’t require food or oxygen, as well. A few of these could do the work of dozens of rangers or volunteers.
“The surviving corals will start to grow and bud and form new colonies which will grow large enough after about three years to become sexually reproductive and complete the life cycle,” said Southern Cross’s Peter Harrison, who has been developing the larval restoration technique.
It’s not a quick fix by any means, but this artificial spreading of corals could vastly improve the chances of a given reef or area surviving the next few years and eventually becoming self-sufficient again.
Nov 02
Apple has released its fourth quarter 2018 financial results, revealing a 20-percent increase in revenue to $62.9 billion. According to the company, 61-percent of its quarterly revenue came from international sales. Apple’s Services revenue increased to $10 billion during its fourth quarter, as well, a 27-percent increase over the same quarter last year. It was another record quarter for the … Continue reading
Nov 02
Silicon Valley entrepreneur Peter Thiel took the stage at the New York Times DealBook conference today to provide fresh insights on how to navigate the challenges ahead. He also personally addressed reports that he engages in an experimental life-extension therapy that involves the injection of blood from youthful…
Nov 02
Nov 02
Nov 01
The largest radio company in the United States, iHeartMedia, is in a spot of bother. It has $20 billion in debt and has filed for bankruptcy protection in March. The company has been exploring the possibility of obtaining investments with several companies one of which is said to be Apple. It wants to clinch a deal ahead of filing a reorganization plan with the bankruptcy court.
The Financial Times reports that Apple is one of the companies that’s considering an investment in iHeartMedia. The latter may be willing to part with an equity stake in return for millions of dollars. One source tells the scribe that a deal between the two companies could also look like a marketing partnership instead of a direct cash infusion from Apple.
If a deal is reached between the two companies, it may allow for Apple Music’s Beats 1 to be distributed even further. It’s currently available only through iTunes and Apple Music apps. Getting the station on iHeartRadio gives way to the possibility that it may help significantly grow Apple Music’s user base.
iHeartRadio is a dominant force in the radio industry despite its troubles. It has more than 850 stations and considerable clout with events like the iHeartRadio Music Awards. The company has not yet commented on a potential deal with Apple and the fruit company is tightlipped on the matter as well.
Apple May Be Thinking About Investing In iHeartRadio , original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Nov 01
After seeing her license, attendants were still skeptical she could aid another passenger, Dr. Fatima Stanford said.
Nov 01
This 3D-Printed Ghost Rider Costume Is Smokin’
Posted in: UncategorizedMike Warren wanted to dress up as Ghost Rider for Halloween this year. Now, he could have just worn a cheap mask and leather jacket, but he wanted to go the extra mile with a wearable glowing skull helmet surrounded in a cloud of smoke. When you are Ghost Rider, that’s just how it has to be. You can’t cheap out.
Mike used a very modern tool for generating the smoke: a simple vape. Plus, the glowing LEDs inside the skull do a really great job of creating the look of fire, without the risk of burning yourself himself beyond all recognition.
Combined with the smoke really creates the illusion that this is the real Ghost Rider. The smoke comes from a store-bought electronic cigarette. Warren modded it with custom controls, a fan unit, and some flexible tubes to redirect the vapor flow.
Warren documented the entire build on Instructables if you want to try making one yourself. That link has links to all of the parts and components he used, and the 3D skull model he modified and 3D printed.
This is one awesome Ghost Rider costume. Now all he needs is a flaming motorcycle to ride. Maybe he’ll make that next year.
Nov 01
GoPro stock is currently down 15% in after-hours trading and is falling after reporting its third quarter earnings. The company saw revenues dive 13%.3, while still managing to beat Wall Street revenue expectations.
Overall GoPro reported a net loss of $27.1 million, or 19 cents per share, in the quarter that ended on Sept. 30. Is compared with a profit of $14.7 million, or 10 cents per share, from the previous year. Likewise, GoPro saw revenue fell to $285.9 million from $329.8 million, down 13% year-over-year and up 1% sequentially. Cash and investments totaled $148 million at the end of Q3 2018.
Earlier in the day, the company’s stock was up 9.3% on the day. It was rebounding nicely after ending last week down but all the gains could be lost if it opens tomorrow at today’s after-hours level.
The third quarter noted some successes though. The new Hero7 Black saw the company’s best first-month sales of any unit today. Likewise, GoPro’s spherical camera, the Fusion, holds 47% dollar share of its niche market. The company’s products are gaining popularity in oversea markets, too. In Europe, Japan and Korea, the company increased its unit and dollar marketshare substantially. In the US, GoPro still holds a massive chunk of the dollar and unit share of, 96% and 87%, respectively. And for the 19th straight quarter, GoPro is the number one selling camera by unit volume in North America.
The company is also still growing its social channels, reaching a 21-month high in September.
GoPro recently revamped its camera line up in time for the holiday quarter. Yet GoPro is still struggling, at least seemingly, at convincing owners to buy another unit. While GoPro annually releases the latest and greatest action camera, most owners I’ve talked to are satisfied with the capabilities of the GoPro they purchased previously.
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