Thursday, 30 April 2020

Top10: Who'll pay for migrant workers' return home?



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Closing Number of a Musical


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Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today


By BY PATRICK J. LYONS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2xrrh9q

Coronavirus: Northern Territory first in Australia to lift major restrictions

The Northern Territory lifts major social restrictions in a test case for the rest of the nation.

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The Unites States Air Force Would Like You to Hack Into Their Satellite

The Air Force is again holding its annual “Space Security Challenge” where they invite you to hack into a satellite to test their cybersecurity measures. There are actually two events. In the first one, $150,000 is up for grabs in ten prizes and the final event offers a $100,000 purse divided among the three top participants (first place takes $50,000).

Before you get too excited, you or your team has to first qualify online. The qualification event will be over two days starting May 22. The qualifying event is set up a bit like the TV show Jeopardy. There is a board with categories. When a team solves a challenge in a category it receives a flag that is worth points as well as getting to unlock the next challenge. Once a challenge is unlocked however, any team could potentially work on it. There are more rules, but that’s the gist of it. At the end of the event, the judges will contact the top 10 teams who will then each have to submit a technical paper.

One interesting aspect of the value of the flags is that they depend on how many people solve them. More difficult challenges presumably will have fewer flags claimed and their flags will be worth more. So you don’t know how much a flag is worth until after the event is over.

If you qualify you’ll have three weeks to submit your technical paper. It will need to describe your solution to at least five challenges you solved during the event.

The final event will be a DEF CON 28 — if there is a DEF CON this year., or it could be could be online if DEF CON doesn’t materialize physically. It will consist of two parts, of which hacking into a FlatSat in a simulated space environment is the first. If a team is successful at that, they will be eligible for the on-orbit challenge.

Again, to get a payout, you also have to submit a technical paper that is acceptable. There are other requirements. You can be a team of one if you like, but your team leader and the point-of-contact person must be a US citizen and speak English. The team leader can also be the point-of-contact person. If you are under 18 you will need parental consent.

There are also some disqualifying rules. You can’t attack other players. You have to respect open source rules. You can’t hack the infrastructure used to run the contest.

If you are interested in participating, you have until May 24 to register, but since the event starts on May 22, we’d suggest you do so well before then.



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Coronavirus ventilator developed by NASA is approved by FDA for emergency use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of a new high-pressure ventilator developed by NASA on Thursday, to treat patients who are infected with the novel coronavirus. 

from FOX News https://ift.tt/3bOJbSm

'World should follow South Korea on Covid-19 fight'

The United Nations chief said he hopes many countries in the world will follow the ``remarkable example'' of South Korea, which he said has been ``extremely successful'' in addressing the coronavirus pandemic and is planning to tackle climate change in its recovery from COVID-19.

from The Times of India https://ift.tt/35piCkf

iPhone sales may be down, but business is booming for Apple Music and the App Store

iPhone sales may be down, but business is booming for Apple Music and the App Store

Consumers aren't rushing to buy as many iPhones, iPads, or other Apple products as before the pandemic, but the company's services seem to be doing just fine. 

During Thursday's earnings call, Apple disclosed that its services category, which includes the App Store and Apple TV+, hit an all-time revenue record of $13.3 billion for the second quarter.

The company saw strong performance within the App Store (for both downloads and search ads), Apple Music, video, and cloud services. App Store revenue also grew by double digits, as people continue to make in-app purchases and opt into subscriptions.  Read more...

More about Apple, Ipad, App Store, Macbook Air, and Revenue

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Reddit VP: 'Ya, we f*cked up.'

Reddit VP: 'Ya, we f*cked up.'

Reddit botched the rollout of a new feature that could have endangered some vulnerable users — and now it is eating crow.

On Wednesday, Reddit announced that it was initiating a limited rollout of a new group chat feature called "Start Chatting" that would allow subreddit members to speak directly with each other in chatrooms. It was originally positioned as a way for Redditors to connect with people during COVID-19 social distancing.

The problem? Not only was there no way for communities to opt out of the feature, but moderators also would not be able to, well, moderate them. In the over 1,500 comments to the original announcement, many mods quickly pointed out that this made the chat function ripe for abuse by trolls. Read more...

More about Reddit, Cyberbullying, Moderators, Tech, and Social Media Companies

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In Place of Pomp and Circumstance: Oprah


By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2z3DKjR

Fiona Ex Machina


By BY WESLEY MORRIS AND JENNA WORTHAM from NYT Podcasts https://ift.tt/3f6bY75

'Om Shanti Om': Mulk mourns Rishi Kapoor



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Blog: WHO crisis raises questions on multilateralism



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Coronavirus: Armed protesters enter Michigan statehouse

Several senators reportedly wore bulletproof vests as armed demonstrators looked on from the gallery.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2y4mOtH

Nigerian drummer Tony Allen dies aged 79

Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, who created Afrobeat with Fela Kuti, dies aged 79, his manager says.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2KKI22i

You Can Judge a Disaster’s Severity by How Many Waffle Houses Close

It takes more than a politician’s will to re-establish our sense of safety.

from Slate Magazine https://ift.tt/2KOPlGi

Uh, My Catholic Boyfriend Doesn’t Know How Women Get Pregnant

Help me.

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Two Arrested in Killings of Transgender Women in Puerto Rico


By BY MICHAEL LEVENSON AND SANDRA E. GARCIA from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2YnU3CH

Peter Hunt, Who Directed the Broadway Hit ‘1776,’ Dies at 81


By BY NEIL GENZLINGER from NYT Theater https://ift.tt/2VR35Xb

Scrambling the Political Divide: ‘No Normal Recession’


By BY LISA LERER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2VQ3U2w

In a Crisis, True Leaders Stand Out


By BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2Wc5wTr

Amazon Sells More, but Warns of Much Higher Costs Ahead


By BY KAREN WEISE from NYT Technology https://ift.tt/2xrY3Hw

‘After 1.5 months, we can say we are safe in UP’



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Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Corrections: April 30, 2020


By Unknown Author from NYT Corrections https://ift.tt/2ybHjVg

Coronavirus Briefing: What Happened Today


By BY PATRICK J. LYONS from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2xhiE0W

Sale of flu drugs hints at no unusual rise in cases



from The Times of India https://ift.tt/3bRpCJ7

Here’s How Not to Publish Your Opinions About Joe Biden and Tara Reade

There's still time to stop recycling old Brett Kavanaugh talking points in defense of the presumptive Democratic nominee.

from Slate Magazine https://ift.tt/2ySLKEo

Coronavirus kills 70 veterans at Massachusetts care home

Officials are investigating if residents received proper medical care at the Massachusetts home.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2ybbegh

Irrfan Khan: The Bollywood star loved by Hollywood

Irrfan Khan's biographer, Aseem Chhabra, writes about the life of one of Bollywood's biggest stars.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3eWGqQS

Coronavirus: Searching for truth behind Spain's care home tragedy

Families want to know why so many of their elderly relatives have died.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2yZZBZt

Coronavirus: Japan's low testing rate raises questions

Japan's relatively low rate of virus testing raises questions about how it has tackled the pandemic.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2KKoxXB

Training AI 'to translate mum's phone messages'

How African researchers are using the continent's languages to help spur innovation in Artificial Intelligence.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2xkftpr

Staging a 'socially distanced' boxing match

Inside the Nicaraguan boxing event that caught the world's attention during the pandemic.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3d3ojqW

Coronavirus: Why the fashion industry faces an 'existential crisis'

"No-one wants to buy clothes to sit at home in," as Next's chief executive Simon Wolfson puts it.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Wc9YBC

Coronavirus: Why so many US nurses are out of work

At a time when many healthcare workers are risking their lives, some face pay cuts and job loss.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2VMxYMs

How will airlines get flying again?

When passenger planes start flying again, the world of air travel will be very different.

from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3cXyT2s

Elon Musk calls stay-at-home order ‘fascist’ during Tesla earnings call

Elon Musk calls stay-at-home order ‘fascist’ during Tesla earnings call

Elon Musk had even more to say about social distancing measures after he rage-tweeted on the topic Wednesday morning.

Tesla's first quarter earnings call Wednesday afternoon started with prepared marks from CEO Elon Musk that noticeably and awkwardly avoided mentioning coronavirus or anything about the pandemic. 

But as the call progressed, Musk's true feelings about shelter-in-place requirements, like those in the Bay Area that are keeping his Fremont, California car plant shut down until at least June, surfaced. He could barely contain himself as he used profanity to describe his thoughts on shelter-in-place efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.  Read more...

More about Tesla, Electric Vehicles, Tech, Elon Musk, and Transportation

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Free Webinar | June 1: Franchise Bible: Technology Enabled Franchise Systems

Learn how to use technology to improve your business model and hear about how other business owners are implementing new hi-tech solutions to serve their customers and communities.


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Free Webinar | May 25: Franchise Bible: Operational Strategies

Franchise Bible author Rick Grossmann focuses on a variety of operational strategies to improve the efficiencies within your business.


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Free Webinar | May 18: Franchise Bible: Financial Mastery

Franchise Bible author Rick Grossmann identifies strategies for financial literacy and no-nonsense techniques for improving the cashflow and bottom line of your franchise business.


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Free Webinar | May 11: Franchise Bible: Decision Making - Three Decision Lenses

Franchise Bible author Rick Grossmann discusses powerful decision strategies to help franchisors and franchisees strengthen their leadership skills.


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Delivering Food Under Coronavirus


By Unknown Author from NYT Home Page https://ift.tt/3f5HYYL

The Trump Administration’s Legal Moves to Prevent a Meat Shortage, Explained


By BY CHARLIE SAVAGE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2W43dl2

Trump Seeks Push to Speed Vaccine, Despite Safety Concerns


By BY DAVID E. SANGER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/3bQeDjg

Coronavirus: States start plasma therapy trials



from The Times of India https://ift.tt/2SAN2er

Number of non-Covid deaths in India has dropped



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Tuesday, 28 April 2020

Beam Your Program to Another Computer

If you’ve programmed much in Linux or Unix, you’ve probably run into the fork system call. A call to fork causes your existing process — everything about it — to suddenly split into two complete copies. But they run on the same CPU. [Tristan Hume] had an idea. He wanted to have a call, telework, that would create the copy on a different machine in a Linux cluster. He couldn’t let the idea go, so he finally wrote the code to do it himself.

If you think about it, parts of the problem are easy while others are very difficult. For example, creating a copy of the process’s code and data isn’t that hard. Since the target is a cluster, the machines are mostly the same — it’s not as though you are trying to move a Linux process to a Windows machine.

However, a real fork does give the new process some things that are tricky like open TCP connections. [Tristan] sidesteps these for now, but has ideas of how to make things better in the future. He built on examples from other Open Source projects that do similar things, including Distributed Multithread Checkpointing (DMTCP). The task requires a pretty good understanding of how the operating system lays out a process.

In addition to making the telefork a bit more robust, [Tristan] has some “crazier” ideas such as sending data to multiple machines at once, or using virtual memory paging to only copy memory as needed. He even wants to allow a process to think that it has many threads, but that some of them are running on different CPUs. That means a program could “think” it had hundreds or thousands of cores. It seems as though there would be a lot of devil in the details, but it could work in theory.

This could be just the thing for your Raspberry Pi cluster. Probably not as useful for your ESP32 cluster, though.



from Hackaday https://ift.tt/2YeY7Fy

How 'Star Wars' characters drink their coffee, according to a fanfiction writer

How 'Star Wars' characters drink their coffee, according to a fanfiction writer

You think the wildly diverse characters of the Star Wars universe drink their coffee the same way?

Not at all, according to popular Archive of Our Own author Violet Wilson. The fanfiction writer tweeted a thread of the different ways characters from all three Star Wars trilogies — and the various standalone movies — would consume their caffeine. 

Obi-Wan Kenobi, for one, would take pride in his well-balanced brew. 

Star Wars Characters and how they make their coffee: a thread

Obi Wan makes French press coffee and gently uses just the weight of his hand to lower the filter, so that the sediment isn’t overly disturbed and the acidity is controlledpic.twitter.com/2q3ca0Ei2I

— Violet Wilson (@ViWiWrites) April 28, 2020 Read more...

More about Twitter, Star Wars, Coffee, Culture, and Web Culture

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Filtered Coffee May Be Especially Good for Heart Health


By BY NICHOLAS BAKALAR from NYT Well https://ift.tt/2SfLS7V

Justin Amash Moves Toward a Third-Party Bid for President


By BY JONATHAN MARTIN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2SgY3kB

Mfume to Return to Congress, Succeeding Elijah Cummings


By BY EMILY COCHRANE from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2YqZaCv

Sixth typhoon in a month makes landfall in Philippines

Super Typhoon Man-Yi is the latest storm forecast to potentially cause further life-threatening conditions. from BBC News https://ift.tt/R...