Tech

New York (CNN Business) In mid-June, one week before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, more than 20 Congressional Democrats wrote a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. In it, they urged the company to prevent searches for abortion clinics from returning results and ads that direct users to facilities that actually oppose the procedure, noting it could put women's health at risk. The next month, 17 Republican attorneys general wrote a letter to Pichai pushing for the opposite. They argued that any move to suppress pro-life search results at the behest of Democratic officials "would violate the most fundamental tenet of the American marketplace of ideas" and also "actively harm women seeking essential assistance." A big question for tech companies post-Roe: How to respond to law enforcement requests for data? The dueling reactions highlighted a new political flashpoint for Google. The tech giant has long faced concerns from lawmakers about its vast … [Read more...] about How Google found itself under pressure from all sides after Roe’s demise

(CTN News) – Google previously released heart rate and respiratory rate tracking features on its devices. The smartphone’s rear and front cameras are used to measure minute changes in the skin and upper body to estimate the heart rate and respiratory rate, respectively. The company is now testing on-device cough and snore detection for Android and Pixel users. The tech publication 9To5Google has decompiled the latest version of Google Health Studies. The publication found code strings in the application which appeared to suggest the presence of the ‘Sleep Audio Collection.’ As a feature, Sleep Audio Collection is only available to Google Employees. A company is developing a feature that uses the microphone on a smartphone to record audio for monitoring users’ snoring and coughing patterns. Must Read: iPhone 14 to be Delayed this Year Due to COVID Lockdowns Google to use ‘Cough and Snore algorithms’ The publication also provides an image showing the quality of … [Read more...] about Google Working On Snore & Cough Detection Feature For Android/Pixel Smartphones: Report

Enemies of the west would try to limit its ability to use technologically advanced weapons in a head-to-head war, an expert has said. Despite having large military research operations of their own, in a WW3 situation, the likes of Russia and China would look to make “a high tech war into a low tech war.” That’s according to Professor Peter Lee, a military drone expert at the University of Portsmouth. READ MORE: Russia and China 'prepared to go further' with AI weapons for WW3 advantage, expert says He believes that while the technological weaponry of both countries is substantial, they are unlikely to try and go toe-to-toe with NATO in terms of manufacturing the most cutting-edge killing machines. Russia’s approach to war has been laid bare during the hideous conflict in Ukraine , giving experts like Professor Lee an opportunity to better understand how Putin’s army deals with advanced western weaponry that has been shipped in to help the defenders. “It … [Read more...] about China and Russia ‘would try to bring back low-tech warfare to win WW3’ warns expert

FULL Moons are one of the best moments for skygazers. Thankfully, there's a pretty regular cycle of them - and experts know exactly when they're due to happen, so you never have to miss one. When is the next full moon? The full Moon happens at very specific times in a lunar phase. It means the Moon shines a lot brighter than usual - and often looks a lot bigger too. The usual pattern is about once every 29.5 days, giving us about 12 a year - though some years a 13th is squeezed in. Each full Moon is given a special name. Read more about space EYES TO THE SKIES Stunning barrage of meteors to soar across sky this week – how to watch STAR AFAR Most distant galaxy EVER seen photographed – and it's got a mind-blowing secret For the rest of 2022 the full Moons are: August 12 - Sturgeon Moon September 10 - Harvest Moon October 9 - Hunter's Moon November 8 - Beaver Moon December 7 - Cold Moon In … [Read more...] about Full Moon calendar: When is the next one?

IF you love optical illusions you may be pleased to hear there's a natural illusion visible in the sky most evenings. It's called the Moon Illusion and it's been baffling humans since ancient times. Sometimes the Moon appears very large early in the evening and seems to get smaller as it moves higher in the sky. This isn't anything to do with its distance from us and when you see the Moon, it remains the same size for the whole evening. It's just your brain creating an optical illusion and tricking you into thinking it looks smaller. It should be noted that the Moon does move closer and further away from Earth on a cycle but its size in the sky during one evening does not physically change. Read more on space SPACED OUT Nasa shares stunning images of Mars including closeup of 'ancient Martian pond' A video from AsapSCIENCE explains how, in reality, the Moon is the exact same size when it appears on the horizon as it will be when … [Read more...] about The MOON is an optical illusion – mind-blowing way it tricks you every night

A team of SpaceX engineers have ditched Elon Musk in pursuit of a much more important mission for mankind: lots of tasty pizza. Their new LA-based company, Stellar Pizza , plans to build an army of pizza robots capable of baking tasty pies in 45 seconds. They want to load these robots onto a fleet of trucks and send them out around California, where they'll dispense hot molten slices for a fiver a pop. READ MORE: 'Real life Iron Man' seeks 25 volunteers to test 'experimental' new flying car Apparently, the pizza is actually pretty decent, according to professional pizza consultant Noel Brohner. Brohner, who tours the world criticising people's pizza, said that he tried Stellar's earliest pizza recipe. He said: "I was really impressed, and kind of shocked that a couple of rocket engineers could do so well for themselves even before I got brought in." The robots act just like human pizzaiolos. Using a robotic arm, they grab balls of dough, slap it into a 12-inch … [Read more...] about SpaceX engineers quit Elon Musk’s company to make a ‘giant army of pizza robots’

Amazon is set to release a You've Been Framed-style clip show—using video clips taken from its range of Ring camera doorbells. The 'dystopian reality show' will feature all sorts of funny, strange, and daft viral videos taken from Ring doorbells, including "neighbours saving neighbours, marriage proposals, military reunions, and silly animals ." According to Deadline , the show, called Ring Nation, will be presented by Oscars host Wanda Sykes and launch on September 26. READ MORE: 'Real life Iron Man' seeks 25 volunteers to test 'experimental' new flying car While it's unlikely that the clips will be used without user permission, the show has been criticised for 'normalising' surveillance cameras. Over the last month, for example, Amazon has been repeatedly criticised for reportedly signing agreements with police departments to hand over camera footage from people's homes without their consent. VICE reporter Edward Ongweso Jr tweeted: "Amazon's Ring … [Read more...] about Amazon making You’ve Been Framed show using footage from millions of Ring doorbells

(CTN News) – WhatsApp on Friday introduced the ‘ Disappearing Messages ‘ feature for both new and existing chats.“Setting Disappearing Messages just got easier!” tweeted the Meta-owned instant messaging application. The Twitter handle for the application also explained that users could choose the duration timer after which they could choose and apply it to whichever chats they wanted. The messaging application on its website informed users about sending messages that disappear on the app by enabling the feature. “You can choose to have messages disappear after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days,” WhatsApp shared on its website, adding that the feature can be turned on for multiple existing chats. And new messages sent in the chat will disappear after the duration you select. The meta-owned app added a new update The Meta-owned app added that most selection controls new messages within the chat. “Messages sent or received before disappearing messages are … [Read more...] about Update On WhatsApp : Disappearing Messages Are Now Easier To Set Up

S Club 7's Jo O'Meara discusses past gambling addiction SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Damian Collins has given the green light for the Gambling Commission, an unelected quango, to start consulting on introducing intrusive credit checks for people who want to make even a small bet. The move had been one of the so-called “nanny state” policy areas Tory MPs had objected to with Mr Johnson’s government and a change of direction has been debated in the leadership election between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss . Related articles Gordon Brown humiliates Sir Keir Starmer as he exposes Labour weakness Americans support signing new trade deal with the UK, new poll … [Read more...] about Boris takes a punt on huge gambling reform despite promise of no major new initiatives

Two weeks ago today I was standing on the sports deck of the MV Viking Sea , sipping a glass of cab and staring up at the night sky, pretending I could accurately identify a single constellation beyond the Dippers. The Mediterranean whipped by below and the lights of port towns twinkled along the coastline. The temperature was easy and effortless, the wind from the water an orgasmic bonus. I could’ve stayed there for hours, but I had an early morning. On the way back to my room, I passed through the Explorers’ Lounge, where buzzed couples in tucked-in shirts and floral dresses were ordering drinks with precise ice cube requirements (five is far too many, one man shook his head) and a performer was playing Guns N’ Roses on a ukulele, amidst murals and maps that paid homage to the seafarers of yore…Columbus core. The ship was reluctant to go to sleep. There were breakaway troupes playing cards in the atrium, smoking cigarettes on the seventh deck, listening to “the Michael Buble … [Read more...] about What It’s Like to Sail the Mediterranean With Viking for 10 Days