6. Interesting Reads
“Android already powers most smartphones on earth. Now Google is placing its mobile operating system right inside cars, a bid to cement its core service in the auto industry as more technology sweeps in. On Monday, ahead of its I/O mobile developers conference, Alphabet Inc.’s Google is showing off its next step in automotive software: an Android version of touchscreen car consoles and infotainment systems.”
“In the future, tiny thermal engines could power nanoscale machinery and quantum computers. Researchers demonstrated the potential of miniaturized heat engines using a theoretical model. “Heat engines are devices that turn thermal energy into a useful form known as ‘work,'” Ahsan Nazir, a research fellow at the University of Manchester, said in a news release. “Besides being of immense practical importance, the theoretical understanding of factors that determine their energy conversion efficiency has enabled a deep understanding of the classical laws of thermodynamics.”
(UPI.com)
“Delivery robots are seen as novelties, job-killers and a gimmicky way for restaurants to reach nearby customers. The newest entrant in this logistics segment is a Swiss startup called Teleretail AG. The company has put a twist on the personal delivery device—its machines, still in prototype, were designed to cover long distances, up to 50 miles, and to serve rural and suburban markets along with city residents. Like its peers and competitors, including Starship Technologies or Marble for example, Teleretail employs some of the same systems developed for self-driving cars, including sensors, computer vision systems and GPS-aided navigational systems.”
“Countries around the world are still dealing with an ongoing ransomware attack that hit institutions and businesses worldwide, including hospitals in the UK, the Russian interior ministry and universities in China. The outbreak started on Friday and spread quickly across the world, infecting around 200,000 computers in 150 countries. In the UK, the malware invaded at least 60 NHS trusts, preventing doctors from accessing patient records and forcing them to cancel non-urgent procedures. Europe and Russia were hit particularly hard, before its advance was slowed when a security researcher in the UK stumbled on a web domain hidden in the malware’s code. When he registered the domain it triggered a “kill switch” that prevented many instances of the virus from spreading.”
“Scientists have a double-shot of bad news about ticks: There’s a new, and potentially fatal, tick-borne illness called Powassan, and this summer looks like it might be one of the worst on record for an increase in the tick population. “Tick-borne diseases are on the rise, and prevention should be on everyone’s mind, particularly during the spring and summer, and early fall when ticks are most active,” said Rebecca Eisen. She is a research biologist in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s division of vector-borne diseases.”
“If you have a rooted Android device, be aware that you may no longer be able to use the Netflix app going forward. The streaming company confirmed that its latest app update will block devices that are not “Google-certified or have been altered” from accessing the mobile service. While Netflix did not specify why exactly it decided to stop playing nice with rooted devices, the fact that Version 5 of the Netflix app leans on Google’s Widevine digital rights management solution suggests some obvious reasons. As Engadget points out, the purpose of the DRM is to protect media companies from piracy; rooted devices that give users control over the operating system have a greater possibility of circumventing the barrier put forward by the DRM.”
“There are many applications and websites to learn to code, but do you know what are the apps for teaching children coding skills? Today, children are spending so much time in front of their laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Even children at the age of two know how to open their favorite applications and play the game by themselves. Back in the day when we bought our first computer, we used to draw in Paint for some time and then head out again. Things have changed a lot since then. In this modern world we live in, programming is very important because everything starts with it from the fan to your mobile. In order to understand the importance of programming, you should know that programming has three phases and everyone is very important.”
“If you are a science freak who likes to attend various festivals related to science, then read our list of 6 biggest science festivals around the world. Can you imagine what life would be like without science? Probably not because most of the things we now have or know of wouldn’t be here without science. Although the term „scientist“ is relatively new (dates back from the 19th century), science has existed for a long time as people have always felt the need to investigate the natural world. Sometimes, throughout the history, these scientific discoveries were very misleading, false, and silly but mistakes are natural, and however misleading they were, they still represented progress.”
