Sci-Tech

Contrite Zuckerberg says Facebook in ‘arms race’ with Russia

  by Michael Mathes and Rob Lever © Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg took personal responsibility Tuesday for the leak of data on tens of millions of its users, while warning of an “arms race” against Russian disinformation during a high stakes face-to-face with US lawmakers. In his first formal congressional appearance, the Facebook founder and chief executive sought to quell the storm over privacy and security lapses at the […]

STEM center opens in Sacramento, gives opportunities in sciences to students

SACRAMENTO, CA (Eagle News) — With the collaborative efforts of La Familia Counseling Center and the Metro Chamber’s Leadership of Sacramento Class of 2017, La Familia opens its doors to the surrounding community with the grand opening of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Center. Before the opening of the STEM center, extensive amounts of research and explorations about other STEM programs were made. Through a grant given to the La Familia STEM Center, […]

Bots, good or bad, dominate Twitter conversation: study

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Automated accounts or “bots” play a big role in disseminating information on Twitter, accounting for two-thirds of tweets linking to popular websites, a study showed Monday. The Pew Research Center report found bots were a major source for diffusing information on news, sports, entertainment and other topics. The researchers found that of all tweeted links to popular websites, 66 percent were shared by accounts that appeared to be automated rather […]

Apple turns green, claiming ‘100% clean energy’

SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Apple said Monday it had achieved a goal of “100 percent clean energy” for its facilities around the world. The California tech giant said its retail stores, offices, data centers and co-located facilities in 43 countries were operating with nonpolluting or renewable energy. Nine additional manufacturing partners have committed to power all of their Apple production with clean energy, bringing the total number of supplier commitments to 23. “We’re […]

Americans world’s biggest TV addicts watching four hours a day

by Taimaz Szirniks and Fiachra Gibbons CANNES, France (AFP) — The average person around the world spent nearly three hours a day in front their television last year, according to a report released Monday. Eurodata TV Worldwide said that television viewing was holding up despite more and more people watching online platforms like Netflix and Amazon. Americans and Canadians are the biggest TV addicts, said the report, watching four hours and three minutes on average […]

Consumer groups seek probe of YouTube over ads for kids

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Consumer and activist groups called Monday for an investigation into Google-owned YouTube for allowing advertising to be targeted at children in apparent violation of US law. The organizations said that although YouTube claims that the site is only for users 13 and up, Google generates significant profits from kid-targeted advertising on the video-sharing service. Twenty-three organizations signed a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), arguing that YouTube is among […]

Four things to know about Telegram messenger

by Andrea Palasciano Agence France Presse   MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The popular messaging app Telegram risks being blocked in Russia after refusing demands to hand over its encryption keys to give the FSB security service access to users’ data. Here are four things to know about the company, which says it has 200 million active users: – Whizz-kid billionaire – Known as Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg after the Facebook boss, Pavel Durov has amassed a […]

Russian regulator moves to block Telegram messaging app

  by Theo Merz Agence France Presse MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia’s telecoms watchdog on Friday asked a Moscow court to block the popular messaging app Telegram after the expiry of a deadline for it to give the state security services access to private conversations. The lawsuit is the latest move in an ongoing battle between authorities and Telegram, which has a reputation for secure communications, as Moscow pushes to increase surveillance of internet activities. […]

Milky Way core may harbour thousands of black holes: study

by Mariëtte Le Roux Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Astrophysicists have detected a dozen black holes at the center of our Milky Way galaxy and said Wednesday there could be as many as 10,000. The find provides the first evidence for a long-held theory that the massive black hole at the core of every large galaxy should be surrounded by thousands of smaller ones, they wrote in the science journal Nature. “We observed […]

NASA hires Lockheed Martin to build quiet, supersonic plane

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — NASA has inked a deal with Lockheed Martin to develop a supersonic “X-plane” that could break the sound barrier without a sonic boom, officials said Tuesday. The $247.5 million contract allows for the design, building and testing of a plane that would make its first test flight in 2021, NASA said. The experimental plane “will cruise at 55,000 feet (16,764 meters) at a speed of about 940 mph (1,513 kph) […]

SpaceX launches cargo to space station using recycled rocket, spaceship

TAMPA, United States (AFP) — SpaceX blasted off a load of supplies Monday for the International Space Station aboard a rocket and a cargo ship that has both flown before, marking the second such flight for the California-based company. “Falcon 9 is on its way,” a SpaceX commentator said as the white rocket surged skyward over Cape Canaveral, Florida at 4:30 pm (2030 GMT). SpaceX’s Jessica Jensen, director of Dragon mission management, said the booster […]

China’s ‘space dream’: A Long March to the moon

BEIJING, China (AFP) — The plunge back to Earth of a defunct Chinese space laboratory will not slow down Beijing’s ambitious plans to send humans to the moon. The Tiangong-1 space module, which crashed Monday, was intended to serve as a stepping stone to a manned station, but its problems highlight the difficulties of exploring outer space. But China has come a long way in its race to catch up with the United States and Russia, […]