AmiMoJo shares a report from The Guardian: Minicab drivers will launch a legal bid to uncover secret computer algorithms used by Uber to manage their work in a test case that could increase transparency for millions of gig economy workers across Europe. Two UK drivers are demanding to see the huge amounts of data the ride-sharing company collects on them and…
Tag: tag
James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s Next Hubble, Delayed Yet Again
The launch of NASA’s next flagship space telescope has been pushed back another seven months. Space.com reports: The liftoff of the $9.8 billion James Webb Space Telescope has been delayed from March 2021 until Oct. 31 of that year, NASA officials announced today (July 16), citing technical difficulties as well as complications imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. “Webb is the world’s…
Microsoft Adds Support For Custom ‘+’ Email Addresses in Office 365
Microsoft is adding support for custom email addressing to Office 365 email services, a feature it hopes to complete in Q3 2020. From a report: Custom email addresses are an optional feature that some email providers can support. The feature is described in the RFC 5233 internet standard. Officially known as subaddressing, this standard allows users to extend their email address…
Amazon’s New Competitive Advantage: Putting Its Own Products First
Brands have long been able to bid for the premier slot at the top left of Amazon’s listings, but during the pandemic the online retailer has begun using this position for its private-label items, raising antitrust concerns. From a report: Until recently, when Amazon customers typed “melatonin” into the site’s search bar, a variety of sleep supplements would appear in the…
Even nature has a price tag – and it’s key to a more sustainable world
Ideas about natural capital and ecosystems services have altered how some governments value biodiversity – they could also help us build back better after lockdown Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24632851-500-even-nature-has-a-price-tag-and-its-key-to-a-more-sustainable-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Google Highlights Indian ‘Hack-for-Hire’ Companies in New TAG Report
The Google Threat Analysis Group (TAG), a division inside Google’s security department that tracks nation-state and high-end cybercrime groups, has published its inaugural TAG quarterly report. In the Q1 2020 TAG Bulletin, Google analysts chose to highlight two rising trends the company saw in the first three months of 2020. The first is the rising scene of hack-for-fire companies currently operating…
MIT Professor Proposes Fleet of Pre-Positioned Satellites Ready To Orbit Interstellar Comets
Slashdot reader Iwastheone quotes MIT News:
To closely observe an interstellar object (ISO) hurtling through space, time is of the essence. Richard Linares, an assistant professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, developed a concept for a “dynamic orbital slingshot for rendezvous with interstellar objects.” He outlined his idea in a research proposal that was recently selected as a…
How We Can Save the Comic Book Industry?
destinyland writes: For the first time in many years, the first Saturday in May won’t mark Free Comic Book Day, as the worldwide comic celebration at comic-book stores has been postponed amid coronavirus concerns,” reports Oklahoma’s largest newspaper — saying it’s been postponed to an unspecified new date in the future. But they’re suggesting fans can support their local shops anyways,…
Physical Force Alone Spurs Gene Expressions, Study Reveals
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: Cells will ramp up gene expression in response to physical forces alone, a new study finds. Gene activation, the first step of protein production, starts less than one millisecond after a cell is stretched — hundreds of times faster than chemical signals can travel, the researchers report. The scientists tested forces that are…
Augmented-Reality Startup Magic Leap Reportedly Considering Selling Itself
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNET: Magic Leap, a mysterious maker of augmented reality glasses, is reportedly considering strategic options that include selling itself. The startup is working with an advisor to explore options such as forming a partnership or selling a stake in the company ahead of a potential listing, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing unidentified sources. Founded in…