Science and Technology

Thursday, 28 January 2021 04:59

Microsoft patented a chatbot that would let you talk to dead people

The internet is buzzing over a new technology created by Microsoftdevelopers that could make it possible to have a virtual conversation with a deceased loved one (well, kind of). A patent granted to Microsoft last month details a method for creating a conversational chatbot modeled after a specific person — a "past or present entity ... such as a friend, a relative, an acquaintance, a celebrity, a fictional character, a historical figure," according to the filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The technology is reminiscent of a fictional app in the dystopian TV series "Black Mirror" that allowed…

Wednesday, 27 January 2021 05:14

Widespread internet outage hits parts of U.S.

Thousands of users across the U.S. East Coast faced widespread internet outage from providers including Verizon Communications Inc on Tuesday, disrupting services offered by Google, Amazon, Zoom, Slack and other tech firms. Verizon, a major broadband services provider in the United States, alerted users about a fiber cut in Brooklyn. Spokesman Rich Young said the company was “aware of an issue impacting the quality” of its broadband service “throughout the Northeast corridor.” He added Verizon has “already seen service levels start to restore.” Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is reviewing reports of the outage. Acting FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel…

Sunday, 17 January 2021 05:28

Egypt makes major discoveries at archaeological sites dating back more than 2,500 years

Egypt announced Saturday the discovery of a new trove of treasures at the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, including an ancient funerary temple. The tourism and antiquities ministry said the "major discoveries" made by a team of archaeologists headed by famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass also included more than 50 sarcophagi. The wooden sarcophagi, which date back to the New Kingdom, were found in 52 burial shafts at depths of 10 to 12 meters (40 feet), the ministry said in a statement. It quoted Hawass as saying that the "funerary temple of Queen Naert, the wife of King Teti" as well…

Saturday, 16 January 2021 05:13

WhatsApp's new privacy policy is exactly why no one trusts Facebook

Jason Aten Very little has changed, but everyone assumes the worst. That's on Facebook. Most people don't have time to be bothered by something as mundane as reading privacy policies. You know, those few thousand-word statements on how companies manage the information you give them. You should. If you did, you might be a bit concerned. To that point, a lot of people were concerned when WhatsApp updated its privacy policy last week. There's a good reason, considering it's owned by Facebook--a company not exactly known as a bastion of user privacy. Still, most of the uproar was a mix…

Thursday, 14 January 2021 05:10

Respect for users: The reason why many are switching from WhatsApp to Telegram

Given the changes in WhatsApp for 2021 , especially in its privacy policies, many users are moving to other messaging apps. The reason behind the change is not fortuitous and Pável Dúrov, co-founder of Telegram, explains why his application has become a favorite of those fleeing Mark Zuckerberg's platform. Last Friday, through a statement published on his official Telegram channel, Dúrovexplained that the great attraction of his app is precisely the weak point of WhatsApp. “I hear that Facebook has an entire department dedicated to finding out why Telegram is so popular. Imagine dozens of employees working on it full…

Sunday, 10 January 2021 05:15

We finally know why stress turns your hair white

Once those strands turn gray, they never go back. In 1902, the British Medical Journal reported an unusual case of rapid hair whitening. A 22-year-old woman “witnessed a tragedy of a woman's throat being cut and the victim falling dead at her feet,” according to a physician at the London Temperance Hospital. The next day, the right side of her pubic hair turned white, while the left half remained black. This historic case study makes for a terribly weird (and rapid) example of an otherwise common occurrence: gray hairs seem to accumulate when we’re stressed. And it’s not just random…

Saturday, 09 January 2021 06:05

Yes, you can still get infected with Covid-19 after being vaccinated. Here's why

On December 18, a San Diego emergency room nurse was given a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine. A week later, he tested positive for the virus, CNN affiliate KGTV reported. Stories like this will become more common as millions of Americans are administered the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines over the coming months. Over time, many who are vaccinated will still get infected with the novel coronavirus. During trials, the vaccines were shown to be about 95% effective — which means some vaccinated people were still infected. Here's how and why: Immunity doesn't kick in right away It takes time for…

Friday, 08 January 2021 04:57

WhatsApp gives users ultimatum: Share data with Facebook or stop using the app

WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messenger that claims to have privacy coded into its DNA, is giving its 2 billion plus users an ultimatum: agree to share their personal data with the social network or delete their accounts. The requirement is being delivered through an in-app alert directing users to agree to sweeping changes in the WhatsApp terms of service. Those who don’t accept the revamped privacy policy by February 8 will no longer be able to use the app. Shortly after Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, its developers built state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption into the messaging app. The move…

Tuesday, 05 January 2021 05:23

Cheap hair lice drug may cut the risk of hospitalised Covid patients dying by up to 80%, study finds

A drug used to treat head lice could cut the risk of death for hospitalised Covid patients by up to 80 per cent, a study suggests. Ivermectin, a prescription-only drug that can cost as little as £1.50 for a course of treatment, was also found to potentially halve the time critically-ill patients needed care for. Dr Andrew Hill, a virologist from Liverpool University behind the analysis, claimed the drug could be 'transformational' in the battle against the virus. But other scientists were sceptical of the finding, saying more data would be needed before it could be used as a potential…

Thursday, 31 December 2020 05:34

Controversial Bill Gates-funded plan to dim the sun's rays moves forward quietly

A bizarre-sounding plan to save Earth funded by tech guru Bill Gates is "quietly" moving forward. The plan — to dim the sun's rays and their impact on the earth — is reportedly all in the name of helping to revitalize the environment and thus save the human race. What are the details? The billionaire philanthropist is set on saving the Earth no matter the cost. "While you may have been paying attention to [Gates'] efforts on vaccination and lockdowns, you may not have noticed that one of Gates' most controversial causes just got a go-ahead: A project that would…

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Wednesday, 30 December 2020 04:48

A touchless 2020

The last time I exited an all-encompassing public health crisis, day to day life changed subtly but permanently. It was 2003 and, living in Hong Kong, we had just faced a SARS epidemic that left a little under 300 people in the city dead. This crisis had a profound effect on not just the psyche of the city’s inhabitants, but the physical city itself. A housing complex had its drainage system overhauled when its design was blamed for a mass outbreak. Temperature checks through thermal imaging at the airport became standard. And the little things: plastic sheeting over elevator buttons,…

Tuesday, 29 December 2020 04:40

WhatsApp will stop working for millions on New Year's Day

WhatsApp users who use the app on an 4 or older and outdated Android handsets will be unable to use the app properly as of January 1, 2021. The Facebook-owned messaging platform is stopping support for iOS 9, the operating software released by Apple in 2015. Non-Apple users with an older device will also be affected if their device still runs Android 4.0.3. Which phones are affected? The update is focused around the operating systems iOS9 for iPhones and Android 4.0.3. They were released in 201 and 2011, respectively. Only phones which have this as their current operating system are…

Saturday, 26 December 2020 05:30

Vitamin D, other everyday vitamins could counter coronavirus effects - Report

Using simple, everyday medicines available in your medicine cabinet or in your kitchen could counter the effects of coronavirus, a report said Thursday. For instance, dozens of recent studies have shown taking Vitamin D is an easy way to fight Covid-19 and your doctor can request a blood test to check your overall vitamin levels, Peter Osborne with Origins Nutrition Center in Sugar Land, Texas, told FOX 26 of Houston. "I think that's probably one of the smartest things that a person could do right now, with an unpredictable role of a relatively unknown illness," Osborne told the TV station.…

Wednesday, 23 December 2020 05:11

'Great Conjunction': Earthlings treated to rare alignment of Jupiter and Saturn

The evening sky over the Northern Hemisphere treated stargazers to a once-in-a-lifetime illusion on Monday as the solar system’s two biggest planets appeared to meet in a celestial alignment that astronomers call the “Great Conjunction.” The rare spectacle resulted from a near convergence of the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn that happened to coincide with Monday’s winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. For those able to observe the alignment in clear skies, the two frozen-gas spheres appeared closer and more vibrant - almost as a single point of light - than at any time in 800 years. Jupiter…

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